Fruit variation and geographical distribution of citron

• Published in: Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi Vol. 46; no. 23; p. 6289
• Main Authors: Liu, Hang-Xiu, Feng, Di, Long, Chun-Rui, Zhou, Xian-Yan, Liu, Hong-Ming, Yang, Hong-Xia, DU, Yu-Xia, Guo, Li-Na, Fu, Xiao-Meng, Ma, Zhao-Cheng, Yue, Jian-Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.12.2021
• Subjects: China; Citrus; Fruit; Taste; Tibet; Tibet; China; germplasm resources; original plant; Citri Fructus; citron; intraspecific variation
• ISSN: 1001-5302
• DOI: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20211012.102

The ripe dried fruit of citron(Citrus medica) is one of the important sources of Chinese herb Citri Fructus. At the same time, it is also grown for edible and ornamental uses. There are many species and abundant genetic variation. To clarify the intraspecific variation and resource distribution of citron, this study investigated the variation in 11 citron fruits, basically covering the main species in China, including Xiaoguo citron(C. medica var. ethrog), Goucheng(C. medica var. yunnanensis), Muli citron(C.medica var. muliensis), Dehong citron(C.medica×Citrus spp.), Fuzhou citron(C.medica×C.grandis?), Mawu(C.medica×C.grandis?), Cangyuan citron, Binchuan citron, Sweet citron, Big citron, and Small citron. The natural communities of citron were proved to be mainly distributed in the southwestern and western Yunnan and southeastern Tibet of China, with Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Hubei, and Zhejiang identified as the main production areas. Citron has also been widely grown in India, the Mediterranean r