The Philippine Agricultural Review Part 2

B. A. No. 2266 (Benguet, Mountain Province).

Citrus longispina. Talamisan.

(Pls. IIa, IIIa.)

An arborescent, very th.o.r.n.y shrub about 5 meters tall, with numerous suckers and interlocking branches, the spines on the stems frequently 10 centimeters long; young growth bright green, nearly always angular; leaves 6.5 to 10 centimeters long, 3 to 4.8 centimeters broad, ovate to broadly elliptical, crenate; base obtuse to broadly acute; apex acute to rounded, usually emarginate; petioles 19 to 25 millimeters long, rather narrowly winged, though in large leaves the wings are up to 18 millimeters broad; flowers not seen; fruit roundish, somewhat flattened at apex, 58 millimeters in diameter, smooth, deep lemon colored; skin thin; locules 11 to 15; pulp very juicy, mildly acid, with a tinge of orange yellow, aromatic and pleasantly flavored; juice cells large, plump, blunt or pointed at one end; seeds rather few, of medium size, fairly plump, more or less reticulate, polyembryonic, and of poor germinating qualities.

The talamisan is exceedingly rare, and is found in cultivation in Bohol (one plant has been seen in Cebu) and is fairly productive. Excepting the mandarin, which is also of rare occurrence, it is much superior to all other citrus fruits grown in these two islands, and is eaten by the inhabitants; it is nevertheless very rare and of no economic importance at present. The fruit ripens in January and February, and is a poor keeper. Introduced into cultivation, the fruit of the talamisan could to advantage be used as an ade fruit, and with a little sugar it would make a good breakfast fruit. The dense growth of the plant, with numerous suckers, armed also with formidable spines, would make it a good live fence.

The talamisan, or tamisan as it is also called, is one of the most interesting citrus fruits that has come to the attention of the writer. Its angular growth, formidable spines, broad, sometimes almost orbicular, distinct leaves and fruit easily distinguish the talamisan from all other species in the genus.

B. A. No. 2529, 4833 (Bohol).

Citrus macrophylla. Alemow.

(Pls. IIIb, VIc.)

A tree attaining a height of 6 meters, of upright growth, and rather long, stout, sharp spines; leaves 14 to 18 centimeters long, 6 to 8 centimeters wide, elliptical to ovate, crenate to serrate; base rounded; apex acute; petioles 18 to 40 millimeters long, broadly winged, wings frequently exceeding 35 millimeters in width; flowers 4 to 7, in compact cymes, sessile, 18 to 22 millimeters in diameter; calyx cupped; petals 4 to 5, oblong; stamens 26 to 30; filaments nearly always free; ovary small, 13 to 16 loculed; style distinct; stigma club shaped, small; fruit 85 to sometimes exceeding 100 millimeters in length, attaining a weight of 500 to 800 grams, subglobose to roundish oblong, more or less compressed towards base, which is nippled and with stem inserted in a shallow cavity; apex flattened with a circular depression around the raised stigmatic area; surface greenish lemon yellow, rather rough, with transverse corrugations; oil cells small, sunken; skin comparatively thin; pulp grayish, rather dry, sharply acid, lemon flavored; juice cells rather slender, long, and pointed; seed medium large, short and plump, smooth, sometimes beaked.

The alemow is a very rare fruit occurring in cultivation in Cebu, and considered inedible even by the natives. The description of the flowers was made from fresh specimens collected in May. The tree is said to bloom later in the year during the rainy season having then larger flowers. Partly grown fruit was then seen on the tree and since mature fruit has been examined by the writer from December to late in February the alemow is evidently nearly if not quite everbearing.

The princ.i.p.al distinguis.h.i.+ng features in this species are the large, broad leaves, the comparatively short but quite broad-winged petioles, the free rarely united filaments, and the quite large, peculiarly shaped fruit; it is thus apparently one of the links between the two branches of the genus, one of which has the filaments more or less united and the other the filaments free, being in the first group most closely related to the pomelo.

The alemow was first forwarded to the writer under the name of colo: Bulletin 27, Plate XIV.

B. A. No. 2510, 2377, 3677, 4820 (Cebu).

Citrus southwickii. Limao.

(Pls. IIIe, IVc.)

A th.o.r.n.y tree, with dense head and drooping branches, attaining a height of 6 meters; spines small but sharp, leaves 9.5 to 14 centimeters long, 36 to 53 millimeters broad, ovate to roundish ovate, conspicuously crenate, dark green and s.h.i.+ning above, leathery; base acute; apex acute to obtuse, frequently emarginate; petioles 35 to 70 millimeters long, the wings 25 to 30 millimeters broad in large leaves, the average wing area somewhat less than half of the leaf blade; flowers 2 to 6, in compact axillary or terminal cymes, sometimes solitary, 14 to 20 millimeters in diameter, white, with trace of purple on the outside; calyx very small; stamens 22 to 28, free; ovary globose to oblate; locules 15 to 19; stigma almost sessile; fruit 45 to 55 millimeters long, 55 to 65 millimeters in equatorial diameter, oblate, with shallow cavity at apex, smooth, with slight longitudinal corrugations; lenticels spa.r.s.e, small; oil cells usually raised; skin thin; pulp fairly juicy, sharply acid, bitter, with distinct aroma from C. histrix; juice cells short, plump, granulate, small, containing a small, greenish nucleus; seeds numerous.

The limao, though rare, is not uncommon in Bohol, where it is cultivated and has also been collected by the writer in Baganga, Mindanao. The flowers appear late in April and during the early part of May, with the fruit ripening in January and February; a few fruits nearly full grown were collected in May. No. 2049 has flowered irregularly from May to December. The fruit is not eaten, but used in was.h.i.+ng by the Boholanos and is of no economic importance. The tree is evidently quite drought resistant, and succeeds well in very scanty soil underlaid with limestone.

The limao belongs in that group of the citrus fruits having free filaments, the most conspicuous characters being the compact growth of the crown, the dark-green, thick, and distinct leaves, the almost sessile stigma, and the attractive, oblate, regular-shaped fruit with its many locules, exceeding in number those in all other citrus fruits known to the writer. This species has been named in honor of Mr. E. F. Southwick, elsewhere referred to in the paper.

B. A. No. 2049 (Baganga, Mindanao), 2504, 4823 (Bohol).

Citrus histrix DC. Cabuyao.

(Pl. Vb; fig. 1.)

A th.o.r.n.y tree, sometimes exceeding 6.5 meters in height; spines medium large and sharp; leaves 13.5 to 18 centimeters long, 4 to 6 centimeters broad, ovate to oblong ovate, coriaceous, dark green and s.h.i.+ning above, crenate; base rounded to broadly acute; apex acute, sometimes emarginate; petiole 5.5 to 8 centimeters long, broadly margined, sometimes 4.5 centimeters wide, wing area inferior or equal to sometimes exceeding leaf area; flowers 4 to 7, in axillary or terminal, compact cymes, 17 to 28 millimeters in diameter; calyx small, not cupped; petals 4 to 5, oblong ovate, white, with trace of purple on the outside; stamens 30 to 36, equal, free, with abundant pollen; ovary rather large, globose, 13 to 18 loculed; style short and stout; stigma k.n.o.b like; fruit subglobose to short pyriform or turbinate, attaining a length of 9 centimeters and a diameter of 7 centimeters; surface smooth; color greenish yellow to lemon yellow; rind medium thick; pulp greenish, juicy, sharply acid, aromatic; juice sacs rather short and blunt, usually containing a more or less distinct nucleus; seeds usually many, flat, reticulate.

This fruit, commonly called cabuyao by the Tagalogs in central Luzon, is without question the "copahan" of Bohol. Near Manila the tree has been found in flower in September, while in Bohol flowers were collected in May. The fruit may be used in making ade, but is inferior to the lemon or lime. The native inhabitants eat it together with fish, and also use the fruit in was.h.i.+ng. It is of practically no importance.

The "amongpong," found in Bohol, and considered a distinct fruit from the copahan by the native inhabitants, differs chiefly in having only 26 to 30 stamens, and a large oblate ovary with a short and slender style. The first has not been examined by the writer and is said to be smooth and short, pyriform, 10 centimeters in diameter. Flowers examined in May.

"Calo-oy" is another fruit also found in Bohol considered by the inhabitants as distinct from the "copahan" and "amongpong." The leaf characters in the calo-oy scarcely differ sufficiently to ent.i.tle it to rank even as a subspecies; the flowers were just gone when the visit was made to Bohol. The fruit is said to be globose, smooth and about 8 centimeters in diameter.

"Amontay" (Pl. IVb) is still another form of C. histrix found in Bohol. This plant was also out of its flowering stage at the time of the visit. The fruit, forwarded to the writer in February by Mr. Southwick, is about 88 millimeters in diameter, irregularly globose, with flattened or depressed base, and rounded apex, smooth, lemon yellow; oil cells mostly raised; skin thick; the pulp, contained in 10 to 12 locules, juicy, and rather pleasantly aromatic; juice cells medium large, short and plump, containing a minute, greenish nucleus; cotyledons supraterraneous, distinct.

So far as observed, the amongpong, amontay and the calo-oy are not sufficiently distinct from the cabuyao to ent.i.tle them even to rank as subspecies.

The various forms above referred to are in the Bureau of Agriculture citrus collection at Lamao, represented as follows: Cabuyao, No. 739 (Lamao); copahan, No. 2570, 4835 (Bohol); amongpong, No. 2496, 4831 (Bohol); calo-oy, No. 4822 (Bohol); amontay, No. 2501, 4830 (Bohol).

Citrus histrix var. boholensis. Canci.

(Pls. IVa, Va.)

A small tree, rarely exceeding 4 meters in height, with compact crown and small, sharp spines; leaves 9 to 12 centimeters long, 30 to 45 millimeters broad, ovate to elliptical ovate, crenulate, coriaceous; base broadly acute; apex acute to ac.u.minate; petioles 35 to 45 millimeters long, 25 to 30 millimeters wide, wing area less than one-half of leaf area; flowers 2 to 6 in compact axillary cymes; petals white, with purplish tinge outside; stamens 20 to 23, equal, free; ovary quite large, oblate; locules 11 to 14; style short, distinct; stigma k.n.o.b like; fruit 39 millimeters long, 46 millimeters in transverse diameter, oblate, smooth, lemon yellow; oil cells numerous, uniform, raised; skin medium thick; pulp quite juicy with very p.r.o.nounced acidity; juice cells short, plump, and granular; seeds many, wedge shaped, monoembryonic; cotyledons supraterraneous.

The canci is found in cultivation in Bohol and is rather rare. Flowers were collected in May, and ripe fruits have been examined in January. The fruit is eaten with fish by the Filipinos, but is really so little grown that it has no economic importance. The fruit makes a fairly good ade.

While the canci undoubtedly belongs to C. histrix yet an examination of its parts shows that it is very distinct from that species as already described. In the leaves, the comparatively short petioles with small, cuneiform wings, as compared with the oblong-spatulate, broad-winged petioles in the cabuyao, etc., is very noticeable; the stamens are 20 to 23 only in the canci, while the locules are 11 to 14, and the fruit is shorter than broad unlike that in C. histrix. Everything considered the plant is apparently an intermediate type between C. histrix and C. webberii.

B. A. No. 2525, 4824 (Bohol).

Citrus histrix var. torosa Blanco. Colobot.

A spiny tree, attaining a height of 6 or more meters; young growth green with a tinge of purple; leaves 9 to 13 centimeters long, 3.5 to 5.5 centimeters broad, ovate to short ovate, bicrenate, dark green and glossy; base rounded, apex emarginate; petiole 4 to 7.5 centimeters long, 2.9 to 5 centimeters wide, oblong, with a broadly acute to obtuse base; wing area nearly equal to or frequently exceeding the leaf area; flowers 20 millimeters across, in axillary cl.u.s.ters of 2 to 6; pedicel slender; calyx small, not cupped; petals 4 to 5, white, with a tinge of purple on the outside; stamens 21 to 26, free, equal; ovary subglobose, 3 millimeters long, 11 to 14 loculed; style short, 1 millimeter long, distinct; fruit 48 to 55 millimeters long, and about 50 millimeters in transverse diameter, irregularly globose to oblate, usually compressed towards base, ending in a small nipple, more or less wrinkled, greenish lemon yellow; pulp greenish, fairly juicy, acid, scarcely edible; juice cells small, short, containing a small greenish nucleus; seeds small, oblong, reticulate.

This plant is the C. torosa of Blanco, which has been considered a synonym of C. histrix, and here raised to the rank of a subspecies. A comparative study of C. histrix and the variety torosa shows considerable differences between the two. C. histrix is generally larger in all parts; the wings of C. h. torosa are oblong, maintaining an almost equal width over a large part of the petiole, ending in a rounded to a broadly acute base, while in C. histrix, and in fact in all the species herein described with free stamens, the wings are more or less cuneate to elongate cuneate or oblong-spatulate, ending usually in an ac.u.minate, sometimes an acute base, the one closest approaching the C. h. torosa in this respect being the "balincolong," referred to C. micrantha. The flower of C. h. torosa corresponds with that of C. histrix except that the former has 21 to 26 stamens as compared with 30 to 36 in C. histrix, which also averages more locules to a fruit.

B. A. No. 3665, 3666 (Batangas).

Citrus micrantha. Biasong.

(Pls. Vc, VIb, VIIc.)

A tree attaining a height of 7.5 to 9 meters, with comparatively small but sharp spines; leaves 9 to 12 centimeters long, 27 to 40 millimeters broad, broadly elliptical to ovate, crenate, rather thin; base rounded or broadly acute; apex acutely blunt pointed; petioles 35 to 60 millimeters long, broadly winged, up to 40 millimeters wide; wing area sometimes exceeding leaf area; flowers small, 12 to 13 millimeters in diameter, white, with a trace of purple on the outside, 2 to 5, in axillary or terminal cymes; petals 4; stamens free, equal, 15 to 17; ovary obovoid, locules 6 to 8; style slender, distinct; fruit 5 to 7 centimeters long, 3 to 4 centimeters in transverse diameter, averaging 26 grams in weight, obovate to oblong-obovate, somewhat compressed towards base; apex blunt pointed; surface fairly smooth or with transverse corrugations, lemon yellow; skin comparatively thick; pulp rather juicy, grayish, acid; aroma similar to that of the samuyao; juice cells short and blunt to long, slender and pointed, sometimes containing a minute, greenish nucleus; seeds many, flat, pointed, more or less reticulate.