Clymenia (plant)
Encyclopedia
Clymenia is a small genus of flowering plant
s in the family Rutaceae
. The rare Clymenia polyandra, occasionally referred to by the archaic Citrus polyandra, is the lone known member of the genus.
Cultivated locally for its sweet fruits on a handful of southwestern Pacific islands, clymenia was originally considered an obscure citrus
hybrid. Botanist Tyôzaburô Tanaka noted that clymenia would hybridize with a few other citrus plants (notably kumquat
s), but otherwise was generally different from other citrus in many aspects of its appearance.
In the 1960s, botanist Walter Swingle proposed that clymenia might belong to a genera of its own.
Native to a handful of locations on Papua New Guinea
and nearby islets, clymenia is far more tropical than true citrus, and even in subtropical parts of the United States
, it can only be grown in a greenhouse. Specimens planted out in Riverside, California thrived in greenhouses, but perished when planted out in the arid climate. Swingle assumed that clymenia and citrus evolved from a single common ancestor.
Clymenia forms a shrub or small tree, free of spines. Leaves feature a short, narrow petiole, which sets them apart from most other citrus, especially the papedas native to the same general area.
Clymenia fruits are a small hesperidium
, very similar to a citrus fruit. Sweet and lemony in flavor, the tangerine-sized fruits are highly segmented, with yellow pulp, and a leathery rind, similar to a true citrus fruit. They contain a large number of polyembryonic seeds. They are locally cultivated in indigenous villages, but have never been commercially cultivated.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, is a family of flowering plants, usually placed in the order Sapindales.Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents...
. The rare Clymenia polyandra, occasionally referred to by the archaic Citrus polyandra, is the lone known member of the genus.
Cultivated locally for its sweet fruits on a handful of southwestern Pacific islands, clymenia was originally considered an obscure citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
hybrid. Botanist Tyôzaburô Tanaka noted that clymenia would hybridize with a few other citrus plants (notably kumquat
Kumquat
Cumquats or kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, either forming the genus Fortunella, or placed within Citrus sensu lato...
s), but otherwise was generally different from other citrus in many aspects of its appearance.
In the 1960s, botanist Walter Swingle proposed that clymenia might belong to a genera of its own.
Native to a handful of locations on Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and nearby islets, clymenia is far more tropical than true citrus, and even in subtropical parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it can only be grown in a greenhouse. Specimens planted out in Riverside, California thrived in greenhouses, but perished when planted out in the arid climate. Swingle assumed that clymenia and citrus evolved from a single common ancestor.
Clymenia forms a shrub or small tree, free of spines. Leaves feature a short, narrow petiole, which sets them apart from most other citrus, especially the papedas native to the same general area.
Clymenia fruits are a small hesperidium
Hesperidium
A hesperidium is a modified fruit with a tough, leathery rind. The peel contains volatile oil glands in pits. The fleshy interior is composed of separate sections, called carpels, filled with fluid-filled vesicles that are actually specialized hair cells.The outer ovary wall becomes the thick...
, very similar to a citrus fruit. Sweet and lemony in flavor, the tangerine-sized fruits are highly segmented, with yellow pulp, and a leathery rind, similar to a true citrus fruit. They contain a large number of polyembryonic seeds. They are locally cultivated in indigenous villages, but have never been commercially cultivated.