Washington Sanguine Blood Orange Budwood

Citrus sinensis.

Fruit medium-large, oval to oblong, often asymmetric; commonly with persistent style or small shallow-embedded navel; seeds few and rudimentary or none.  Under favorable conditions external blood coloration good (better than Doblefina).  Rind medium-thick, moderately smooth, and not as tightly adherent as in Doblefina.  Flesh moderately juicy, but blood coloration commonly poor or lacking.  Flavor good.  Holds well on tree (very much better than Doblefina) and stores and ships as well or better.  Late midseason in maturity.

Tree lacking in vigor, small, very precocious, and productive.

This relatively new variety is said to have originated as a lima sport of Doblefina that was found by Balthazar Ferrer at Sagunto, Spain.  It has remained a minor variety in Spain, but is currently the leading blood orange variety in Algeria and Morocco. The blood coloration is variable and uncertain and lacking in the Atlantic coastal districts of Morocco.

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

Season of ripeness at Riverside, California:  December to February.

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