Willowleaf sour orange

Citrus aurantium var. salicifolia

CRC 3289

PI 539166

Photos by David Karp and Toni Siebert, CVC,  2/11/2008. Photo rights. 

Source: Probably propagated as budwood from another source in the Citrus Variety Collection, date unknown.

Parentage/origins: Parents unknown

Rootstocks of accession: Carrizo citrange, Yuma Ponderosa lemon

Season of ripeness at Riverside: February to April

Notes and observations:

2/24/1988, EMN: All leaves extremely long and narrow. No fruit except off-bloom.

1/18/1989, EMN: NOT a typical sour orange. Fruit is small, about 1/3 to 1/2 normal sour orange size. Fruit just now breaking color from dark green to yellow. Rind thick & rough. Pulp yellow, sour; few seeds.

2/11/2008 OJB, TS & DK: Very acid, somewhat bitter juice, no culinary value. 

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967):

"As the name indicates, this is a willow-leafed form of ornamental.  The tree is moderately dwarfed, of highly symmetrical round-topped form, with dense compact foliage consisting of small, narrow, sharp-pointed, yellowish-green leaves.  The fruits are small, round to pyriform, yellowish-orange and with only juiceless flesh.
      Only one clone of Willowleaf has been noted in California and its origin and history are unknown (Bitters, 1957), although it is believed to have been introduced under the botanical variety name salicifolia.  It is markedly different from Abers which has sometimes called Willowleaf."

Availability: Not commercially available in California.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Willowleaf sour orange