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Kumquats and kumquat hybrids
Citrus japonica Thunb.
(formerly Fortunella Swingle)

LAT	Citrus japonica Thunb.  'Meiwa'
Syn	Fortunella crassifolia Swingle Citrus japonica (Thunb.) 'Nagami' × Citrus japonica Thunb 'Marumi'
	Meiwa kumquat is thought to be a natural hybrid between the oval (Nagami) and round (Marumi) kumquats. This species is the Ninpo, Meiwa or Neiha kinkan of Japan. The most distinctive features of this kumquat are the short oblong or round form and relatively large size of the fruit, the more numerous sections (commonly seven), the very thick and sweet rind and comparatively sweet flavour, and the low seed content. Many fruits are seedless. This is much the best kumquat variety for eating fresh. Although slightly less cold-hardy than Nagami it is increasing in popularity. Meiwa was introduced from Japan between 1910 and 1912. The tree is a dwarf, frequently thornless or having short, stout spines; the leaves differ from those of other kumquats in being very thick and rigid and partly folded lengthwise; they are pitted with numerous dark-green oil glands.
ENG	Meiwa kumquat, Large round kumquat, Sweet kumquat,
FRA	Kumquat Meïwa, Kumquat doux
I TA	Meiwa Kumquat
Photos		(1) ©  Petr Broža © UC-Riverside Citrus Variety Collection

LAT	Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Hongkong'
Syn	Fortunella hindsii (Champ. ex Benth.) Swingle Atalantia hindsii (Champ. ex Benth.) Oliv.,  Sclerostylis hindsii Champ. ex Benth.
	Hong Kong kumquat is reported to grow wild in Hong Kong and in the Chekiang and Kwantung provinces of China. This is the Mame or Hime kinkan of Japan. The most distinctive features include the small size and spiny nature of the plant and the very small, brilliantly coloured, subglobose, virtually inedible fruits that contain three or four segments and relatively large, plump seeds. The fruits of the Hong Kong kumquat appear to be the smallest of the true Citrus fruits. Chinese people flock to the foothills to gather the fruits in season. In the western world, the very thorny shrub is grown only as an ornamental pot plant.
ENG	Hong Kong (wild) kumquat, Formosan kumquat, Taiwanese kumquat, Pea-sized kumquat
FRA	Kumquat Hong Kong
DEU	Chinesische Kumquat
Photos		©  Petr Broža

LAT	Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Fukushu'
Syn	Fortunella obovata Tanaka
	Fukushu kumquat is the Choju kinkan or Changshou kumquat of Japan. It is a dwarf variety that is reported to be widely grown as a potted plant in China and also in Japan to some extent. It is characterized by the broadly obovate form of the fruit, a markedly depressed apex, medium size, thin rind (for a kumquat), and a rather large number of segments (five or six, sometimes as many as eight). This species was established by Tanaka (1933) but was not accepted by Swingle who considered it to be a chance hybrid between two of the Fortunella species. The Fukushu Kumquat is one of the best container citrus plants. The deep green evergreen leaves are attractive in their own right. The very fragrant white flowers can have an extended bloom that can last from late winter into spring. The small orange fruits have a thin skin that contains a significant amount of sugar. The flesh is juicy and somewhat tart. The Fukushu kumquat is thornless as well as one of the most frost-hardy of all of the citrus. It can tolerate normal light conditions and will do well inside next to a window.
ENG	Fukushu kumquat, Changshou kumquat, Jiangsu kumquat
FRA	Kumquat Fukushu
DEU	Changshou-Kumquat
I TA	Kumquat obovato
Photos		(1) ©  Petr Broža (2,3) © Petr Prokop

LAT	Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Malayan'
Syn	Fortunella polyandra  (Ridl.) Tanaka Atalantia polyandra Ridl., Citrus polyandra (Ridl.) Burkill, non Tanaka Citrus swinglei Burkill ex Harms Fortunella swinglei Tanaka
	Malayan kumquat is the Limau pagar of Malaysia. Its present distribution seems to be restricted to that general region and Hainan Island. It is a thornless shrub with long, slender, lanceolate leaves and relatively large, round, and thin-skinned fruits (for a kumquat), containing five or six segments. Swingle accepted this species, though he questioned its validity and suggested the likelihood of hybrid origin. In a pot the plant grows to about 1 metre but in the ground it grows to 3-5metres tall. Native of Peninsular Malaysia and Hainan and cultivated as a hedge or roadside shrub in Peninsular Malaysia only. It is more abundant in Perak and Malacca. The fruits are about 2.5 cm in diameter. The skin is smooth, soft and shiny. It is green but turns yellow on ripening. The fruits are often grown for ornamental purposes because of their beautiful bright rich yellow colour.
ENG	Malayan kumquat, Long-leaved kumquat, Swingle's kumquat
FRA
ESP	Kumquat malayo
Photos		© Petr Prokop

Kumquat hybrids

 

LAT	Citrus × japonica Thunb. 'Lemonquat Rio Grande Valley'
Syn	Citrus japonica Thunb.sp. × Citrus limon
	Lemonquat Rio Grande Valley is in fact a sunquat, a variety of kumquat hybrids having an edible rind. It was initially created in Texas as a chance hybrid between a lemon and a kumquat.
ENG	Rio Grande Valley lemonquat, Sunquat Rio Grande Valley
FRA
Photos		© UC-Riverside Citrus Variety Collection

LAT	Citrus × japonica Thunb. 'Mandarinquat 'Indio'
Syn	Citrus japonica Thunb.sp.. × Citrus reticulata Blanco
	Indio is a kumquat-mandarin hybrid with orange bell-shaped fruit much larger than a typical kumquat (see bottom picture with 'Nagami' kumquat in the lower left corner and top picture with a few Calamondin in the centre). The sweet peel is eaten along with the tart flesh for a unique flavour combination. This variety usually blooms during the summer months and produces abundant crops of fruit that stay on the tree during the winter months. Indio looks like a giant kumquat, with similar tangy-sweet flesh and edible rind. A very decorative tree.
ENG	Indio mandarinquat
FRA
ESP
Photos		© Joe Real

LAT	Citrus × japonica Thunb. 'Orangequat Nippon'
Syn	Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Meiwa' × Citrus reticulata Blanco
	The name given to this class of hybrid is misleading since its parentage involves a mandarin rather than a true orange. This variety originated from a cross between the satsuma mandarin (C. unshiu) and the Meiwa kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Meiwa') made in Washington, D.C. by Eugene May of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  It was described in 1931 by Swingle, Robinson, and Savage and introduced in 1932. It is an attractive ornamental and the fruit makes excellent marmalade. Fruit is small (smaller than satsuma but larger than kumquat), broadly oval to obovate; orange-coloured; rind relatively thick and spongy; flavour mild and pulp acid.  Matures early but holds well on tree for several months. Tree is slow-growing, medium-small, spreading; foliage dark green.
ENG	Nippon orangequat
FRA
Photo		© CCPP

LAT	Citrus × floridana (J. Ingram & H. Moore) Mabb. Limequat
Syn	X Citrofortunella floridana J. W. Ingram & H. E. Moore X Citrofortunella swinglei J. W. Ingram & H. E. Moore
	Limequats are Mexican lime x kumquat hybrids made by Dr. Swingle in 1909, described and named in 1913. Trees are vigorous, evergreen, the single leaflets having narrowly-winged petioles; nearly spineless or with a few short thorns; more cold-tolerant than the lime but not as hardy as the kumquat; very resistant to wither tip. Fruit much like the Mexican lime. There are three named cultivars: Eustis, Lakeland, and Tavares (see below), important in  approximately that order. All are characterized by fruits that closely resemble the West Indian lime in size, form, and composition and hence are reasonably acceptable substitutes.  Eustis and Lakeland also closely approach the West Indian lime in colour. Tavares, however, exhibits some of the orange colouration characteristic of the kumquat and the pink of the flower buds, which occurs in the West Indian lime. All limequats are more cold-resistant than the lime parent but much less so than the kumquat. None of the limequats has achieved commercial importance for the fruit, but Eustis and Lakeland are grown to some extent as ornamentals.  In California, they are popular as potted or tubbed plants for patios and terraces. Eustis and Lakeland are sister hybrids of the West Indian lime and the round kumquat (Fortunella japonica), and Tavares is a similar hybrid with the oval kumquat (Fortunella margarita).
ENG	Limequat
FRA
Photos		(1) © Laaz (2) © Joe Real (3) © Petr Broža

LAT	Citrus × floridana (J. Ingram & H. Moore) Mabb. 'Eustis'
Syn	X Citrofortunella 'Limequat Eustis' Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm. et Panz.) Swingle × Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Marumi'
	Eustis Limequat is a Mexican lime crossed with Round kumquat; oval or round, 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 in (2.8-4 cm) wide; peel pale-yellow, smooth, glossy, with prominent oil glands, thin, edible; pulp light greenish in 6 to 9 segments, tender, juicy, very acid, with 5 to 12 small seeds. Of excellent quality, nearly ever-bearing but mainly in fall-to-winter. Tree has small spines and pure-white buds and flowers; prolific.
ENG	Eustis Limequat
FRA
Photos		(1,2) ©  Laaz (3) © Joe Real

 

LAT	Faustrime
Syn	Citrus × floridana (J. Ingram & H. Moore) Mabb. 'Eustis'  × Citrus australasica F.Muell.
	Faustrime is a hybrid of Limequat Eustis and the Australian fingerlime (Microcitrus australasica). It is discussed in >> Native Australian citrus varieties. Disambiguation: Faustrimedin
ENG	Faustrime
Photo		© Laaz

LAT	Citrus × floridana (J. Ingram & H. Moore) Mabb. 'Lakeland'
Syn	X Citrofortunella 'Limequat Lakeland' Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm. et Panz.) Swingle × Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Marumi'
	Lakeland limequat is also a Mexican lime crossed with round kumquat, but a different seed from the same hybrid parent. The fruit is oval, 1 1/4 to 2 1/4 in (4.5-7 cm) wide; peel bright-yellow, smooth, thin; pulp in 5 to 8 segments, pale-yellow, juicy, pleasantly acid, with 2 to 9 large seeds.  Yellow-orange fruit on bushes three feet tall; highly productive. Tree nearly spineless; flowers white with pink streaks.
ENG	Lakeland Limequat
FRA
Photos		© Plantes du sud © Brazos Citrus Nursery

LAT	Citrus × floridana (J. Ingram & H. Moore) Mabb. 'Tavares'
Syn	X Citrofortunella 'Limequat Tavares' Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm. et Panz.) Swingle × Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Nagami'
	Tavares limequat is a Mexican lime x oval kumquat hybrid; obovate to oval, about 1 1/4 to 1 7/8 in (3.2-4.75 cm) wide; peel pale orange-yellow, smooth, thin, tender, edible; pulp buff-yellow, in 7 to 8 segments, juicy, very acid, with 6 to 11 large seeds. Tree is vigorous with short spines and pink flower buds.
ENG	Tavares Limequat
FRA
Photos		© Joe Real © UC-Riverside Citrus Variety Collection

LAT	Citrus × georgiana Mabb. 'Citrangequat'
Syn	Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Nagami' × (Citrus × insitorum Mabb.) Citrus japonica Thunb. × [(Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck) × Citrus trifoliata L.)] Nagami kumquat × Citrange
	Combining the cold-hardiness of the kumquat and trifoliate orange, the citrangequats appear to be more cold-resistant than the citranges or the Calamondin and kumquat, for they are said to succeed in regions too cold for these fruits. The first crosses were made by Dr. Swingle at Eustis, Florida, in 1909. Tree is vigorous, erect, thorny or thornless, with mostly trifoliate leaves; highly cold-resistant. Fruit resembles the oval kumquat, mostly very acid. Two varieties are described below. Both produce fruits with marked resemblances to the kumquat. One is characterized by a high percentage of trifoliate leaves, the other by mainly unifoliolate leaves.
ENG	Citrangequat
FRA	Citrangequat
Photo	The picture is of the 'Four Seasons' variety from SRA/INRA Corsica	© C. Jacquemond / INRA

LAT	Citrus × georgiana Mabb.  Citrangequat 'Thomasville'
Syn	Citrus × insitorum Mabb × Fortunella margarita
	Thomasville becomes edible when fully mature, though it is relatively seedy. It is very juicy, valued for eating fresh, for marmalade and for flavouring soft drinks. The tree is strongly resistant to citrus canker and is very ornamental. Citrangequat Thomasville  is an Oval kumquat and Willits citrange hybrid and was first fruited at Thomasville, Georgia.  The cross was made in 1909, and the variety was named and described in 1923. Fruit medium-small, globose to oval; colour yellow to orange-yellow. The tree is very vigorous, upright and thorny. Leaves are variable but mainly trifoliate. Presumably because of the larger size and edibility of the fruit, it is much the most popular citrangequat variety.
ENG	Thomasville citrangequat
FRA	Citrangequat Thomasville
Photos		© Gene Lester
Links	Home Citrus Growers

LAT	Citrus × georgiana Mabb. Citrangequat 'Sinton'
Syn	Citrus × insitorum Mabb 'Rusk' × Fortunella margarita
	Citrangequat Sinton is an Oval kumquat and Rusk citrange hybrid first fruited at Sinton, Texas, and was named and described in 1923. It is an attractive ornamental and the fruit is beautifully coloured but highly acid. Fruit is small, round to oval; often necked; colour deep reddish orange; sharply acid; nearly seedless.  Tree moderately vigorous, upright, nearly thornless; leaves mainly unifoliolate.
ENG	Sinton citrangequat
FRA	Citrangequat Sinton
Photo		© Agrumi Voss
Links

LAT	Citrus × microcarpa Bunge   Calamondin
Syn	X Citrofortunella microcarpa (Bunge) Wijnands X Citrofortunella mitis  J. Ingram & H. E. Moore Citrus mitis  Blanco Citrus madurensis Loureiro Fortunella japonica Thunb. ' Nagami' × Citrus sunki Tanaka
	Calamondin is a kumquat hybrid most likely of Chinese origin but introduced to the western world from the Philippines. More has been written about the correct classification and origin of the Calamondin than most other citrus plants. The exact hybrid nature of the Calamondin remains to be established. It is commonly accepted to be a hybrid of a sour mandarin type and a kumquat. The most frequently mentioned candidates are the Sour mandarin Citrus sunki Tanaka of 1927 (which is the later Citrus reticulata var. austera of Swingle of 1942) and the Oval or 'Nagami' kumquat Citrus japonica Thunb. It is still unclear to which plant the classification Citrus madurensis by Loureiro (1717-1791) referred to. Blanco created Citrus mitis in 1837. J.Ingram & H.E.Moore used the name X Citrofortunella mitis in 1975 and the name Citrofortunella × microcarpa was given by Wijnands in 1984. The last two are obvious attempts to acknowledge the hybrid nature of the Calamondin Citrofortunella suggesting both the genus Citrus of the mandarin parent and the genus Fortunella of kumquats. So far the hybrid genus Citrofortunella has not been accepted as a valid name. As the genus Fortunella of Swingle is no longer valid either (see History and Today) the concept has no basis. The oldest documented description and classification is valid today and it was given to the Calamondin by Alexander Andrejewitsch von Bunge (1803-1890) as Citrus microcarpa Bunge in 1833. When a plant is obviously of a hybrid nature the sign × is today attached between the genus and species name. Since 1997 Citrus × microcarpa Bunge has been the legal classification of the Calamondin.  The × sign is only added in writing, it is not pronounced. To type it press down and hold Alt-key, type 0215 on the numeric key pad, release Atl-key. While the Calamondin is a cross between the Sour mandarin (Citrus sunki) and the Oval Kumquat (Citrus japonica Thunb. 'Nagami') it is itself a parent in many other hybrids, Faustrimedin among them (Citrus × microcarpa Bunge × Citrus australasica F.Muell.). Calamondin has inherited more qualities from the mandarin than the kumquat. Whereas the rind of kumquats is usually edible, the rind of Calamondin resembles those of the genus Citrus in being often too sour for consumption especially in the larger fruits (4 - 6 cm in diameter). The inner parts of the flower (pedicel and ovary) are also more like those of the Citrus. Calamondin can be used in the kitchen instead of lime. It was used in mixing drinks before lime became popular. It is good for marinating fish and in sauces for fish dishes. It is used in marmalades and jams. Calamondin can be pickled whole or in slices like cucumbers. The taste of Calamondin is best when it has fully matured. Calamondin is increasingly popular as a potted house plant.
ENG	Calamondin, Golden lime, Kalamansi lime, Panama orange, Musklime, Philippine lime
FRA	Calamondin
GER	Calamondine, Zwergapfelsine
ESP	Calamondin, Lima de las Filipinas, Lemonsito
Photos		(1) © Joe Real (2,4) ©  UC-Riverside Citrus Variety Collection (3) © Tradewinds Fruit

LAT	Citrus × microcarpa Bunge 'Peters'
	Peters, a variegated calamondin. The fruit show off especially well against the beautiful bi-coloured leaves and thick foliage. Much used as an ornamental in landscaping, gardening, in containers and as a potted house plant. The fruit is edible. It can be used like the ordinary Calamondin above.
ENG	Peters Calamondin
FRA	Calamondin panaché Peters
Photo		© Gene Lester

LAT	Citrus × oliveri  Mabb.  'Australian Sunrise Lime'
Syn	Faustrimedin Tanaka Citrus × microcarpa Bunge × Citrus australasica F.Muell.
	The Australian Sunrise Lime is an open pollinated seedling selected from a Faustrimedin, a hybrid of Calamondin (Citrus madurensis) and the Finger lime (Citrus australasica). Faustrimedin is discussed in >> Native Australian citrus varieties. Disambiguation: Faustrime
ENG	Australian Sunrise Lime
Photo		© CSIRO Plant Industry

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