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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Citron
| image = Citrus medicus fruit.jpg
| image_width = 200px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Sapindales]]
| familia = [[Rutaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Citrus]]''
| species = '''''C. medica'''''
| binomial = ''Citrus medica''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
{{otheruses}}
The Citron is a fragrant fruit with the botanical name ''Citrus Medica'' L. which apply to both, the [[Swingle]] and [[Tanaka]] systems. It is a prominent member in the genus [[Citrus]] belonging to the [[Rutaceae]] or Rue family, sub-family ''Aurantoideae''. Its different names ''Citrus Media'', ''Median Apple'' etc. were influenced by the [[Theophrastus]] who considered it being native to [[Medes|Media]], [[Persia]] or [[Assyria]]. However, those names are now rarely in use.
The citron is not the ordinary citrus fruit like the [[Lemon]] or [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]]. While the most popular citrus species are peeled off in order to consume the inner pulpy and [[juice|juicy]] [[flavedo|segments]] – the citron contains extreme dry pulp which has little value compared to the orange. Moreover, its main content is the thick white rind which is extremely adherent to the segments, and cannot peel off at all.
Thus, the Citron was from [[ancient]] through [[medieval]] times mainly used only for the [[fragrance]] of its outer peel or for derived medicine against [[seasickness]], [[pulmonary]] troubles, [[intestine|intestinal]] ailments and other disorders. Citron juice with [[wine]] was considered an effective [[antidote]] to [[poison]]. The [[essential oil]] of the peel was regarded as an [[antibiotic]].
The most important part of the citron is the peel which is a fairly important article in [[international trade]]. The fruits are halved, depulped, immersed in seawater or ordinary salt water to ferment for about 40 days, the [[brine]] being changed every 2 weeks; rinsed, put in denser brine in wooden barrels for storage and for export. After partial de-salting and boiling to soften the peel, it is [[Confectionery|candied]] in a strong sugar solution. The candied peel is sun-dried or put up in jars for future use. Candying is done mainly in [[England]], [[France]] and the [[United States]]. The candied peel is widely employed in the food industry, especially as an ingredient in [[fruit cake]], [[plum pudding]], buns, sweet rolls and [[candy]]. <ref> [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University]
[http://www.cretancitron.gr/ The Citron in Crete]</ref>
Today there is an uprising market for the citron is the United States for the soluble fiber which is found in its thick rind, also called [[flavedo|albedo]]. The citron is also used by [[Jews]] for a religious [[ritual]] during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]], by whom it is called [[Etrog]].
The citron has many similar names in diverse languages, e.g. cederat, cedro, etc. Most confusing is the French language, in which the [[false friend]] "citron" refers to a [[lemon]] in English (similarly, "limon" is the French word for [[lime (fruit)|lime]]).
==Origin and distribution==
Today, authorities agree that all citrus species are native to Southeast [[Asia]] where they are found wild and at an uncultivated form; the fascinating story about how they spread to the [[Mediterranean]] has been reported by many (Calabrese, 1998; Chapot, 1975; Tolkowsky, 1938). <ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter1.htm#origin The Citrus Industry]
^[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University]
^[http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>
The citron especially sounds to be native to [[India]] bordering [[Burma]], where it is found in valleys at the foot of the [[Himalaya]] Mountains, and in the Western Ghauts.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=uDgCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA268&lpg=RA1-PA268&dq=sir+joseph+hooker+citrus&source=web&ots=mXMRtehpon&sig=v3sGY9unJ2rpz9jH4-YOQis1oEE Sir Joseph Hooker (Flora of British India, i. 514)]</ref>, <ref>[http://www.fao.org/AG/agp/agps/Pgrfa/pdf/nepal.pdf COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Leipzig, 1996); Prepared by: Nepal Agricultural Research Council; Kathmandu, June 1995; CHAPTER 2.2]</ref> It is still considered that by the time of Theophrastus, the citron was mostly cultivated in the Persian Gulf on its way to the Mediterranean basin, where it was cultivated during the later centuries in different areas as described by Erich Isaac. <ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-0095(195901)35%3A1%3C71%3ATCITMA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S The Citron in the Mediterranean: a study in religious influences; economic Geography, Vol. 35 No. 1. (Jan. 1959) pp. 71-78]</ref>. Many mention the role of [[Alexander the Great]] and his armies, to be responsible for the spread of the citron westward, reaching the [[Europe]]an countries like [[Greek citron|Greece]] and [[Diamante Citron|Italy]].
The citron is already mentioned in the [[Torah]] for the ritual use during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]] ([http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0323.htm Lev. 23:40]). It is considered that the Jews brought it along by [[The Exodus]] from [[Egypt]], where archeological evidence found it to be in since the times of [[Thutmosis III]].
The opinion that the citron was the attractive fruit which [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] shared with [[Adam]] in the [[Hesperides]] of [[Garden of Eden|Eden]] is not providing any geographical positioning, since the exact orientation of the Hesperidies is unclear. Besides, there are enough reasons to conclude that it was in the [[Far East]] for e.g. [[India]] or [[Yemen]], where the citron is likely to have originated.
==Description and Variation==
The citron fruit is usually [[ovate]] or oblong, narrowing up till the [[carpel|stylar]] end. However, the citron's fruit shape is highly variable, due to the big quantity of [[flavedo|albedo]] which forms independently according to the fruits' position on the tree, twig orientation and many other factors. This could also be the reason of its being protuberant, forming a "v" shape after the end of the segments pointing to the stylar end.
The rind is leathery, furrowed, and adherent. The inner portion thick, white and fleshy, the outer uniformly thin, and very fragrant. The pulp is usually acidic, but also sweet and even pulpless varieties are found.
Most citron varieties contain a large number of seeds. The [[monoembryonic]] seeds are white colored with dark innercoat and red-purplish [[chalazal spot]] for the acidic varieties, and colorless or white for the sweet ones. Some citron varieties are also distinct with their persistent [[carpel|style]], which is highly appreciated by the Jewish community.
Citrons are also prized for their beauty. The nicer ones are those with medium sized oil bubbles at the outer surface, which are medially distant each to another. Some of them are ribbed and faintly warted in outer surface, adding life and attraction to its beauty. There is also a fingered citron variety called [[Buddha's Hand]].
The color changes from green when unripe, till yellow-orange when [[ripening|ripe]] or overripe. The citron does not fall off the tree and could reach 8-10 pounds (4-5 kg) if not picked off timely or even early <ref>Un curieux Cedrat marocain, Chapot 1950. [http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>. However they should be picked off before the winter as the branches might break, or bend to the ground which may cause numerous fungal diseases for the tree.
The slow-growing [[shrub]] or small tree reaches a height of about 8 to 15 ft (2.4-4.5 m); it has irregular straggling branches and stiff twigs and long spines in the leaf [[axils]]. The evergreen leafs are pale-green and lemon scented with slightly serrate edges, ovate-lanceolate or ovate elliptic 2 1/2 to 7 inch long. [[Petiol]]es are usually wingless or with minor wings. The flowers are generally unisexual providing [[self-pollination]], but some male individuals could be found due to [[pistil]] abortion. Flowers of the acidic varieties are purplish tinted from outside, but the sweet ones are white-yellowish.
The citron tree is very vigorous with almost no dormancy, blooming several times a year, therefore fragile and extremely sensitive.<ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html#acid The citrus Industry], [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html#Varieties The Purdue University] </ref> The farmer's choice is to graft it onto foreign rootstock, but since this practice is forbidden by Jewish Law, the progeny will not be [[kosher]] for the Jewish ritual.
The citron was always considered as a Jewish [[symbol]], and is found on various Hebrew [[antique]]s and [[archeological]] foundlings.
==The Citron in antiquity==
The citron has been cultivated since ancient times, predating cultivation of other citrus [[species|species]]. Despite its minor importance today being hardly [[consume]]d as is, it seems that in different times it played a big role in life. We could see that from the way how it was described by numerous writings and poets across centuries. It is suggested that when the other citrus species arrived, they pushed the citron off the road, since most of its benefits could nearly by found in the lemon, which is much easier to cultivate.
The following is from the writings of [[Theophrastus]]<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 4.4.2-3 (''exc.'' Athenaeus ''Deipnosophistae'' 3.83.d-f); cf. Vergil ''Georgics'' 2.126-135; Pliny ''Naturalis historia'' 12.15,16.</ref>
"In the east and south there are special plants... i.e. in Media and Persia there are many types of fruit, between them there is a fruit called Median or Persian Apple. The tree has a leaf similar to and almost identical with that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but has [[Spine (botany)|thorn]]s like those of the ''apios'' (the wild [[pear]], ''Pyrus amygdaliformis'' Vill.) or the ''oxyacanthos'' (the fire thorn, ''[[Cotoneaster]] pyracantha'' Spach.), except that they are white, smooth, sharp and strong.
"The fruit is not eaten, but is very fragrant, as is also the [[leaf]] of the tree; and the fruit is put among [[clothes]], it keeps them from being [[moth]]-eaten. It is also useful when one has drunk deadly poison, for when it is administered in [[wine]]; it upsets the [[stomach]] and brings up the poison. It is also useful to improve the [[breath]], for if one boils the inner part of the fruit in a dish or squeezes it into the mouth in some other medium, it makes the breath more pleasant.
"The seed is removed from the fruit and sown in the [[Spring (season)|spring]] in carefully tilled beds, and it is watered every fourth or fifth day. As soon the plant is strong it is [[Transplanting|transplant]]ed, also in the spring, to a soft, well watered site, where the soil is not very fine, for it prefers such places.
"And it bears its fruit at all [[seasons]], for when some have gathered, the flower of the others is on the tree and is ripening others. Of the [[flowers]] I have said<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 1.13.4.</ref> those which have a sort of distaff [meaning the [[carpel|pistil]]] projecting from the middle are fertile, while those which do not have this are sterile. It is also sown, like [[date palm]]s, in pots punctured with holes.
"This tree, as has been remarked, grows in ''Media'' and ''Persia''."
Later with about 400 years it was also described by [[Pliny the Elder]],<ref>''Naturalis historia'' 16.135; 13.103; 17.64.</ref> who was calling it ''nata Assyria malus''.
"The Assyrian fruit, which some call Median, is an antidote for poisons. Its leaf is like that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but with thorns running between. The fruit is notable for the fact that it is not eaten and has a strong odor, as also do the leaves, which impregnates clothes stored with them and keeps away harmful insects.
"The tree itself bears fruit continuously; some dropping off, others ripening, and still others budding.
"People have tried to introduce the tree into their land in [[clay]] vessels because of its medicinal efficacy, providing breathing for the roots by making holes in the vessels; …but except among Media and in Persia, it has refused to grow.
"This is the fruit whose pips we have related Parthian nobles boiled in foods in order to eliminate bad breath. No other tree is so highly praised in Media."
==Genetics and Hybridization ==
There is molecular evidence that all cultivated citrus species arose by [[hybridization]] among the ancestral types, which are the citron, [[pummelo]], [[Mandarin orange|mandarin]] and [[papeda]]s. The citron is believed to be the purest of them all since it is usually [[fertilized]] by [[self-pollination]], it hardly excepts foreign pollen, and is therefore considered to be the male parent rather than a female one.<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/tjggcl5wyyu6l69d/ Citrus phylogeny and genetic origin of important species as investigated by molecular markers. 2000]</ref><ref>[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TC3-4C4W511-1&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F01%2F2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f7bbd7704b524d334d55bf64c3c577c6 Phylogenetic relationships in the “true citrus fruit trees” revealed by PCR-RFLP analysis of cpDNA. 2004]</ref><ref>[http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref><ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-8071(194306)104%3A4%3C602%3ACNITSA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9 Chromosome Numbers in the Subfamily Aurantioideae with Special Reference to the Genus Citrus; C. A. Krug. Botanical Gazette, Vol. 104, No. 4 (Jun., 1943), pp. 602-611]</ref><ref>[http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowFulltext&ProduktNr=224037&Ausgabe=230610&ArtikelNr=82410 The relationships among lemons, limes and citron: a chromosomal comparison. by R. Carvalhoa, W.S. Soares Filhob, A.C. Brasileiro-Vidala, M. Guerraa].</ref>
==See also==
* [[Citrus]]
* [[Etrog]]
* [[Yanova esrog]]
* [[Greek citron]]
* [[The Balady of Palestine]]
* [[Shwartzman Etrogs]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=Y6c4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=s0gUaKaQr-&sig=-kzCzSRGHlNJXNFKPMJLgWecveQ#PPA59,M1 Citrus Fruits and Their Culture By H. Harold Hume]
==External links==
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?10745 USDA]
* [http://plantbiology.ucr.edu/people/?Roose#CitrusDiversity Citrus Diversity by the University of Callifornia]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=jb05AAAAMAAJ&q=citron+albedo&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&pgis=1 Fruit Breeding in India: Papers By G. S. Nijjar]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=BxUyssIX-H4C&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=5peK6JbDUd&sig=O9F7YyD7Cnu4DbqnBnfmWOutlVY#PPA17,M1 Palestine Under the Muslems]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=KPAMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=Tjtk-wP3Jm&sig=xEz1x5lb8dRagS9nzI-TD5Hldyg#PPA42,M1 Proceedings, Google Book Search]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=wo8csizDv0gC&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=jpOPzW7uho&sig=x8EhjXh77OBdCpOA0ZWIPJi9fis#PPA214,M1 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A-D By Geoffrey William Bromiley]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=tsaCbFmmiOoC&pg=PA82&dq=citron+albedo&ei=WU8mR8XbCZPM6ALotulA&sig=l79ewrIU1YCg7y1Y5XTSqj8W7KY#PPA82,M1 The Great Citrus Book: A Guide With Recipes By Allen Susser]
* [http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kalamansi.html ''Citrus medica'' used as a medicinal plant.]
* Peel confection and candying [http://books.google.com/books?id=OLaykfpqSaYC&pg=PA171&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&sig=imxES5qBYEXpz1PYGSw9hljhqu0#PPA171,M1 Citrus: The Genus Citrus By Giovanni Dugo, Angelo Di Giacomo]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=LgvYxBG5kUkC&pg=PA465&lpg=PA465&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=Kb4COmtk-F&sig=VE7MfGAKzO8LTX0Im5uLE_75u5o Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge]
[[Category:Citrus]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Citron]]
[[Category:Sukkot]]
[[Category:Four Species]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Citron
| image = Citrus medicus fruit.jpg
| image_width = 200px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Sapindales]]
| familia = [[Rutaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Citrus]]''
| species = '''''C. medica'''''
| binomial = ''Citrus medica''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
{{otheruses}}
The Citron is a fragrant fruit with the botanical name ''Citrus Medica'' L. which apply to both, the [[Swingle]] and [[Tanaka]] systems. It is a prominent member in the genus [[Citrus]] belonging to the [[Rutaceae]] or Rue family, sub-family ''Aurantoideae''. Its different names ''Citrus Media'', ''Median Apple'' etc. were influenced by the [[Theophrastus]] who considered it being native to [[Medes|Media]], [[Persia]] or [[Assyria]]. However, those names are now rarely in use.
The citron is not the ordinary citrus fruit like the [[Lemon]] or [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]]. While the most popular citrus species are peeled off in order to consume the inner pulpy and [[juice|juicy]] [[flavedo|segments]] – the citron contains extreme dry pulp which has little value compared to the orange. Moreover, its main content is the thick white rind which is extremely adherent to the segments, and cannot peel off at all.
Thus, the Citron was from [[ancient]] through [[medieval]] times mainly used only for the [[fragrance]] of its outer peel or for derived medicine against [[seasickness]], [[pulmonary]] troubles, [[intestine|intestinal]] ailments and other disorders. Citron juice with [[wine]] was considered an effective [[antidote]] to [[poison]]. The [[essential oil]] of the peel was regarded as an [[antibiotic]].
The most important part of the citron is the peel which is a fairly important article in [[international trade]]. The fruits are halved, depulped, immersed in seawater or ordinary salt water to ferment for about 40 days, the [[brine]] being changed every 2 weeks; rinsed, put in denser brine in wooden barrels for storage and for export. After partial de-salting and boiling to soften the peel, it is [[Confectionery|candied]] in a strong sugar solution. The candied peel is sun-dried or put up in jars for future use. Candying is done mainly in [[England]], [[France]] and the [[United States]]. The candied peel is widely employed in the food industry, especially as an ingredient in [[fruit cake]], [[plum pudding]], buns, sweet rolls and [[candy]]. <ref> [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University]
[http://www.cretancitron.gr/ The Citron in Crete]</ref>
Today there is an uprising market for the citron is the United States for the soluble fiber which is found in its thick rind, also called [[flavedo|albedo]]. The citron is also used by [[Jews]] for a religious [[ritual]] during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]], by whom it is called [[Etrog]].
The citron has many similar names in diverse languages, e.g. cederat, cedro, etc. Most confusing is the French language, in which the [[false friend]] "citron" refers to a [[lemon]] in English (similarly, "limon" is the French word for [[lime (fruit)|lime]]).
==Origin and distribution==
Today, authorities agree that all citrus species are native to Southeast [[Asia]] where they are found wild and at an uncultivated form; the fascinating story about how they spread to the [[Mediterranean]] has been reported by many (Calabrese, 1998; Chapot, 1975; Tolkowsky, 1938). <ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter1.htm#origin The Citrus Industry]
^[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University]
^[http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>
The citron especially sounds to be native to [[India]] bordering [[Burma]], where it is found in valleys at the foot of the [[Himalaya]] Mountains, and in the Western Ghauts.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=uDgCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA268&lpg=RA1-PA268&dq=sir+joseph+hooker+citrus&source=web&ots=mXMRtehpon&sig=v3sGY9unJ2rpz9jH4-YOQis1oEE Sir Joseph Hooker (Flora of British India, i. 514)]</ref>, <ref>[http://www.fao.org/AG/agp/agps/Pgrfa/pdf/nepal.pdf COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Leipzig, 1996); Prepared by: Nepal Agricultural Research Council; Kathmandu, June 1995; CHAPTER 2.2]</ref> It is still considered that by the time of Theophrastus, the citron was mostly cultivated in the Persian Gulf on its way to the Mediterranean basin, where it was cultivated during the later centuries in different areas as described by Erich Isaac. <ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-0095(195901)35%3A1%3C71%3ATCITMA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S The Citron in the Mediterranean: a study in religious influences; economic Geography, Vol. 35 No. 1. (Jan. 1959) pp. 71-78]</ref>. Many mention the role of [[Alexander the Great]] and his armies, to be responsible for the spread of the citron westward, reaching the [[Europe]]an countries like [[Greek citron|Greece]] and [[Diamante Citron|Italy]].
The citron is already mentioned in the [[Torah]] for the ritual use during the [[Feast of Tabernacles]] ([http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0323.htm Lev. 23:40]). It is considered that the Jews brought it along by [[The Exodus]] from [[Egypt]], where archeological evidence found it to be in since the times of [[Thutmosis III]].
The opinion that the citron was the attractive fruit which [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] shared with [[Adam]] in the [[Hesperides]] of [[Garden of Eden|Eden]] is not providing any geographical positioning, since the exact orientation of the Hesperidies is unclear. Besides, there are enough reasons to conclude that it was in the [[Far East]] for e.g. [[India]] or [[Yemen]], where the citron is likely to have originated.
==Description and Variation==
The citron fruit is usually [[ovate]] or oblong, narrowing up till the [[carpel|stylar]] end. However, the citron's fruit shape is highly variable, due to the big quantity of [[flavedo|albedo]] which forms independently according to the fruits' position on the tree, twig orientation and many other factors. This could also be the reason of its being protuberant, forming a "v" shape after the end of the segments pointing to the stylar end.
The rind is leathery, furrowed, and adherent. The inner portion thick, white and fleshy, the outer uniformly thin, and very fragrant. The pulp is usually acidic, but also sweet and even pulpless varieties are found.
Most citron varieties contain a large number of seeds. The [[monoembryonic]] seeds are white colored with dark innercoat and red-purplish [[chalazal spot]] for the acidic varieties, and colorless or white for the sweet ones. Some citron varieties are also distinct with their persistent [[carpel|style]], which is highly appreciated by the Jewish community.
Citrons are also prized for their beauty. The nicer ones are those with medium sized oil bubbles at the outer surface, which are medially distant each to another. Some of them are ribbed and faintly warted in outer surface, adding life and attraction to its beauty. There is also a fingered citron variety called [[Buddha's Hand]].
The color changes from green when unripe, till yellow-orange when [[ripening|ripe]] or overripe. The citron does not fall off the tree and could reach 8-10 pounds (4-5 kg) if not picked off timely or even early <ref>Un curieux Cedrat marocain, Chapot 1950. [http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref>. However they should be picked off before the winter as the branches might break, or bend to the ground which may cause numerous fungal diseases for the tree.
The slow-growing [[shrub]] or small tree reaches a height of about 8 to 15 ft (2.4-4.5 m); it has irregular straggling branches and stiff twigs and long spines in the leaf [[axils]]. The evergreen leafs are pale-green and lemon scented with slightly serrate edges, ovate-lanceolate or ovate elliptic 2 1/2 to 7 inch long. [[Petiol]]es are usually wingless or with minor wings. The flowers are generally unisexual providing [[self-pollination]], but some male individuals could be found due to [[pistil]] abortion. Flowers of the acidic varieties are purplish tinted from outside, but the sweet ones are white-yellowish.
The citron tree is very vigorous with almost no dormancy, blooming several times a year, therefore fragile and extremely sensitive.<ref>[http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html#acid The citrus Industry], [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html#Varieties The Purdue University] </ref> The farmer's choice is to graft it onto foreign rootstock, but since this practice is forbidden by Jewish Law, the progeny will not be [[kosher]] for the Jewish ritual.
The citron was always considered as a Jewish [[symbol]], and is found on various Hebrew [[antique]]s and [[archeological]] foundlings.
==The Citron in antiquity==
The citron has been cultivated since ancient times, predating cultivation of other citrus [[species|species]]. Despite its minor importance today being hardly [[consume]]d as is, it seems that in different times it played a big role in life. We could see that from the way how it was described by numerous writings and poets across centuries. It is suggested that when the other citrus species arrived, they pushed the citron off the road, since most of its benefits could nearly by found in the lemon, which is much easier to cultivate.
The following is from the writings of [[Theophrastus]]<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 4.4.2-3 (''exc.'' Athenaeus ''Deipnosophistae'' 3.83.d-f); cf. Vergil ''Georgics'' 2.126-135; Pliny ''Naturalis historia'' 12.15,16.</ref>
"In the east and south there are special plants... i.e. in Media and Persia there are many types of fruit, between them there is a fruit called Median or Persian Apple. The tree has a leaf similar to and almost identical with that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but has [[Spine (botany)|thorn]]s like those of the ''apios'' (the wild [[pear]], ''Pyrus amygdaliformis'' Vill.) or the ''oxyacanthos'' (the fire thorn, ''[[Cotoneaster]] pyracantha'' Spach.), except that they are white, smooth, sharp and strong.
"The fruit is not eaten, but is very fragrant, as is also the [[leaf]] of the tree; and the fruit is put among [[clothes]], it keeps them from being [[moth]]-eaten. It is also useful when one has drunk deadly poison, for when it is administered in [[wine]]; it upsets the [[stomach]] and brings up the poison. It is also useful to improve the [[breath]], for if one boils the inner part of the fruit in a dish or squeezes it into the mouth in some other medium, it makes the breath more pleasant.
"The seed is removed from the fruit and sown in the [[Spring (season)|spring]] in carefully tilled beds, and it is watered every fourth or fifth day. As soon the plant is strong it is [[Transplanting|transplant]]ed, also in the spring, to a soft, well watered site, where the soil is not very fine, for it prefers such places.
"And it bears its fruit at all [[seasons]], for when some have gathered, the flower of the others is on the tree and is ripening others. Of the [[flowers]] I have said<ref>''Historia plantarum'' 1.13.4.</ref> those which have a sort of distaff [meaning the [[carpel|pistil]]] projecting from the middle are fertile, while those which do not have this are sterile. It is also sown, like [[date palm]]s, in pots punctured with holes.
"This tree, as has been remarked, grows in ''Media'' and ''Persia''."
Later with about 400 years it was also described by [[Pliny the Elder]],<ref>''Naturalis historia'' 16.135; 13.103; 17.64.</ref> who was calling it ''nata Assyria malus''.
"The Assyrian fruit, which some call Median, is an antidote for poisons. Its leaf is like that of the ''andrachn'' (''[[Arbutus]] andrachne'' L.), but with thorns running between. The fruit is notable for the fact that it is not eaten and has a strong odor, as also do the leaves, which impregnates clothes stored with them and keeps away harmful insects.
"The tree itself bears fruit continuously; some dropping off, others ripening, and still others budding.
"People have tried to introduce the tree into their land in [[clay]] vessels because of its medicinal efficacy, providing breathing for the roots by making holes in the vessels; …but except among Media and in Persia, it has refused to grow.
"This is the fruit whose pips we have related Parthian nobles boiled in foods in order to eliminate bad breath. No other tree is so highly praised in Media."
==Genetics and Hybridization ==
There is molecular evidence that all cultivated citrus species arose by [[hybridization]] among the ancestral types, which are the citron, [[pummelo]], [[Mandarin orange|mandarin]] and [[papeda]]s. The citron is believed to be the purest of them all since it is usually [[fertilized]] by [[self-pollination]], it hardly excepts foreign pollen, and is therefore considered to be the male parent rather than a female one.<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/tjggcl5wyyu6l69d/ Citrus phylogeny and genetic origin of important species as investigated by molecular markers. 2000]</ref><ref>[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TC3-4C4W511-1&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F01%2F2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f7bbd7704b524d334d55bf64c3c577c6 Phylogenetic relationships in the “true citrus fruit trees” revealed by PCR-RFLP analysis of cpDNA. 2004]</ref><ref>[http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin=ibids_references&therow=796030 The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; HortScienc 40(7):1963-1968. 2005]</ref><ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-8071(194306)104%3A4%3C602%3ACNITSA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9 Chromosome Numbers in the Subfamily Aurantioideae with Special Reference to the Genus Citrus; C. A. Krug. Botanical Gazette, Vol. 104, No. 4 (Jun., 1943), pp. 602-611]</ref><ref>[http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowFulltext&ProduktNr=224037&Ausgabe=230610&ArtikelNr=82410 The relationships among lemons, limes and citron: a chromosomal comparison. by R. Carvalhoa, W.S. Soares Filhob, A.C. Brasileiro-Vidala, M. Guerraa].</ref>
==See also==
* [[Citrus]]
* [[Etrog]]
* [[Yanova esrog]]
* [[Greek citron]]
* [[The Balady of Palestine]]
* [[Shwartzman Etrogs]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=Y6c4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=s0gUaKaQr-&sig=-kzCzSRGHlNJXNFKPMJLgWecveQ#PPA59,M1 Citrus Fruits and Their Culture By H. Harold Hume]
==External links==
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?10745 USDA]
* [http://plantbiology.ucr.edu/people/?Roose#CitrusDiversity Citrus Diversity by the University of Callifornia]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=jb05AAAAMAAJ&q=citron+albedo&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&pgis=1 Fruit Breeding in India: Papers By G. S. Nijjar]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=BxUyssIX-H4C&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=5peK6JbDUd&sig=O9F7YyD7Cnu4DbqnBnfmWOutlVY#PPA17,M1 Palestine Under the Muslems]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=KPAMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=Tjtk-wP3Jm&sig=xEz1x5lb8dRagS9nzI-TD5Hldyg#PPA42,M1 Proceedings, Google Book Search]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=wo8csizDv0gC&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=palestine+citron&source=web&ots=jpOPzW7uho&sig=x8EhjXh77OBdCpOA0ZWIPJi9fis#PPA214,M1 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A-D By Geoffrey William Bromiley]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=tsaCbFmmiOoC&pg=PA82&dq=citron+albedo&ei=WU8mR8XbCZPM6ALotulA&sig=l79ewrIU1YCg7y1Y5XTSqj8W7KY#PPA82,M1 The Great Citrus Book: A Guide With Recipes By Allen Susser]
* [http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kalamansi.html ''Citrus medica'' used as a medicinal plant.]
* Peel confection and candying [http://books.google.com/books?id=OLaykfpqSaYC&pg=PA171&dq=citron+albedo&ei=f1AmR66eCoP06wL91tA_&sig=imxES5qBYEXpz1PYGSw9hljhqu0#PPA171,M1 Citrus: The Genus Citrus By Giovanni Dugo, Angelo Di Giacomo]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=LgvYxBG5kUkC&pg=PA465&lpg=PA465&dq=greek+citron&source=web&ots=Kb4COmtk-F&sig=VE7MfGAKzO8LTX0Im5uLE_75u5o Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge]
[[Category:Citrus]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Citron]]
[[Category:Sukkot]]
[[Category:Four Species]]