Willowleaf Mediterranean Mandarin Budwood

Citrus deliciosa.

This mandarin variety is known to have been growing in the Mediterranean basin since the very early 1800s. It is a distinctive variety in both tree and fruit characteristics. The tree is of medium size, broadly spreading and pendant. The leaves are narrow and lanceolate, suggestive of a willow's leaves, and fragrant. The fruit is medium-sized, oblate, with a smooth, loose, orange rind that contains a distinctive and fragrant oil. The flesh is light orange, tender, juicy, and sweet. Willowleaf matures in winter, but the acidity drops, the rind puffs, and fruit quality decreases when the fruit is held on the tree past maturity.

Fruit medium in size, moderately oblate, frequently slightly lobed; base sometimes even, but usually with low collared and strongly furrowed neck; apex depressed and commonly slightly wrinkled; areole lacking; small navel-like structure fairly common.  Seeds numerous, small, round, plump, and highly polyembryonic, with light green cotyledons.  Rind thin, not leathery, loosely adherent; surface smooth and glossy with large, deep colored oil glands; color yellowish-orange at maturity.  Segments 10 to 12, very loosely adherent; axis hollow.  Flesh color light orange; tender; juicy; flavor sweet; pleasantly aromatic (distinctive).  Moderately early to early midseason in maturity.  As fruit passes through maturity, rind separation increases sharply and "puffing" takes place, accompanied by marked loss of acidity.  Fruit loses quality unless picked promptly.  Fruit does not store well in comparison with the satsuma of Japan.

Tree slow growing, of medium vigor and size, broad-spreading, and drooping in growth habit; branches fine, willowy, and nearly thornless; leaves small, narrowly lanceolate, and of distinctive appearance.  Tree hardy to cold and resistant to unfavorable conditions, but exhibits strong tendency to alternate bearing.

In comparison with the other mandarins, the most distinctive characteristics of the Mediterranean mandarin include: (1) the small size and narrow-lanceolate form of the leaves and the special nature and aroma of the oil they contain; (2) the mild and pleasantly aromatic flavor of the juice; (3) the distinctive nature and fragrance of the rind oil; and (4) the plump and almost spherical seeds.  Additional distinctive characteristics not confined to this mandarin are the spreading-drooping habit of growth and the very high degree of seed polyembryony.

Because of its high beat requirement, tolerance, and the fact that the fruit is well-shaded, this mandarin is adapted to the hot and dry climates that characterize the Mediterranean basin and Near East.  In general, because of the greater amount of heat, both fruit size and quality are superior in North Africa and the season of maturity earlier than in Italy and Spain.  The Baladi or Yussef Effendi mandarin of Egypt is notable for earliness of maturity, and size, the latter evidently an effect of the humidity resulting from the flooding of the Nile during summer and early fall.  In the heat-deficient coastal region of southern California, the fruit is small, of indifferent quality, and late in maturity.

Presumably because of the fruit characteristics, processing of the Mediterranean mandarin has not been developed.  Two byproducts are made, however, principally, in Sicily: rind oil and oil of petit grain.  The rind oil is used in the preparation of perfume and for the flavouring of confections and carbonated beverages.  Petit grain, which is distilled from the prunings and comes mainly from the leaves, has a strong and highly distinctive odor. Because of the highly delicate nature of the rind, all handling operations must be performed with special care to avoid fruit injury.

Rootstocks of accession:  Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange.

Season of ripeness at Riverside, California:  November to January.

Prepared by the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at The University of California Riverside.