The Florentine citron –

citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

( it, cedrato di Firenze) – is a very fragrant

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

fruit, which is named after its most known origin of cultivation. Its

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

is ''Citrus × limonimedica'' 'Florentina' Lush.

Source and genetics

This variety or hybrid originated in

Italian Renaissance garden The Italian Renaissance garden was a new style of garden which emerged in the late 15th century at villas in Rome and Florence, inspired by classical ideals of order and beauty, and intended for the pleasure of the view of the garden and the landsc ...

s. Today it is considered to be a lemon × citron hybrid. It's known to be one parent of the

Bizzaria The Bizzaria of Florence (''Citrus medica'' + ''C. aurantium''), which is probably the first graft chimera obtained, is a graft between the Florentine citron and sour orange. It produces branches of regular Florentine citron including such le ...

chimaera.

History and uses

It was first described by

Johann Christoph Volkamer Johann Christoph Volkamer (June 7, 1644 – August 26, 1720) was a German merchant, manufacturer and botanist. Life Johann Christoph Volkamer (also: ''Volcamer'', ''Volckamer'', ''Volkammer'', ''Volcameris'') was the son of the physician Johann G ...

in his '' Nürnbergische Hesperides'', who gave a detailed account for original citrus types,

mutations In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mi ...

and hybrids, along with professional illustrations. He has many illustrations of the Florentine citron growing by itself, or on the Bizzaria tree. Those illustrations resemble the way it looks today. He also writes that it has a very pleasant fragrance, similar to the

Greek citron The Greek citron variety of '' Citrus medica'' ( el, κιτριά, he, אתרוג קורפו or יְוָנִי) was botanically classified by Adolf Engler as the ''"variety etrog"''. This is remarking on its major use for the Jewish ritual e ...

. The most popular Italian variety, namely the Genoese citron, was well respected and praised by

Ashkenazic Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

and

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

communities.Rabbi Daniel Tirni of Fiorenza, Ikrei haDath chapter 33.

References

External links

''The Gardeners Dictionary''
by Philip Miller
''The Complete Distiller''
by Ambrose Cooper
''The Complete Confectioner''

''The Universal Botanist and Nurseryman''
by Richard Weston

Ville Giardini Firenze
{{citrus Citron Citrus Citrus hybrids Medicinal plants