Forbidden fruit (citrus)

The forbidden fruit (also shaddette) is a variety of citrus fruit native to Saint Lucia and once thought to be the origin of the grapefruit.[1][2]

History

In the 1990s two kinds of citrus were discovered growing in Saint Lucia that closely correspond to a variety known as forbidden fruit described in Caribbean literature dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. This variety was last recorded in 1918 and, until its recent rediscovery, was thought to be extinct. The forbidden fruit is closely related to the grapefruit. It has a high degree of monoembryony which may make it an important genetic resource for the sweet orange, grapefruit, and rootstock breeding programs.[3]

References
  1. Nosowitz, Dan (6 October 2020). "Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. Bowman, Kim Dean. 1990. Unexploited germplasm, natural mutations, and selected in vitro techniques for citrus cultivar improvement. Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida.
  3. Bowman, Kim D.; Gmitter, Jr., Frederick (April 1990). "Forbidden Fruit (Citrus sp., Rutaceae) Rediscovered in Saint Lucia". Economic Botany. 44 (2): 165–173. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
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