Rangpur, ''Citrus'' × ''limonia'' or ''Citrus reticulata'' × ''medica'', sometimes called the rangpur lime, mandarin lime or lemandarin, is a hybrid between the
mandarin orange
The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-colou ...
and the
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 ...
. It is a
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
with a very
acid
In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a se ...
ic taste and an
orange peel and flesh.
Common names
Common names for this fruit include rangpur, the name of a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
now in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
. Rangpur is also known in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
as ''
Sylhet
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate ...
lime'' (after another region also now in Bangladesh), ''surkh nimboo'', and ''sharbati''.
It is known as a ''canton-lemon'' in South China, a ''hime-lemon'' in Japan, as ''limão-capeta'', ''limão-cravo'', ''limão-rosa'' or ''limão-galego'' in Brazil and Portugal (namely in the Azores), and ''mandarin-lime'' in the United States, and similarly ''limón-mandarina'' (lemon tangerine) in Costa Rica because of its shape and the way its skin is peeled.
History
''Citrus'' × ''limonia'' was introduced into Florida in the late nineteenth century by Reasoner Brothers of Oneco, who obtained their seeds from northwestern India.
[U.C. Riverside Citrus Profile: Rangpur - ''Citrus × limonia''](_blank)
/ref> Though often described as a lemon hybrid, genomic analysis has shown it to be an F1 hybrid
An F1 hybrid (also known as filial 1 hybrid) is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. F1 hybrids are used in genetics, and in selective breeding, where the term F1 crossbreed may be used. The term is some ...
of a female citron (''Citrus medica'') and a male mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata'').[ and Supplement]
Use
Rangpurs are highly acidic and can be used as a substitute for limes
Limes may refer to:
* the plural form of lime (disambiguation)
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a ...
. However the name lime in connection with this fruit is misleading, because there are very few similarities between the rangpur and other fruits called limes.
In 2006, Diageo
Diageo plc () is a multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweichow Moutai of China in 201 ...
introduced a rangpur-flavored version of Tanqueray gin, known simply as Tanqueray Rangpur.
Cultivation
''Citrus'' × ''limonia'' is cultivated as an ornamental tree
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
for planting in gardens and a container plant on patios and terraces in the United States. Outside the U.S. it is used principally as a citrus rootstock Citrus rootstock are plants used as rootstock for citrus plants. A rootstock plant must be compatible for scion grafting, and resistant to common threats, such as drought, frost, and common citrus diseases.
Principal rootstocks
Five types of roots ...
, except Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
where it is also grown commercially and is preferred over lime and lemon, used in any preparation that requires a lemon, and grows wild on cow pastures and near human settlements.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangpur (Fruit)
Citrus hybrids
Flora of India (region)
Garden plants of Asia
Ornamental trees
Lemons