Citrus maxima (Shaddock, Pomelo, Zamboa)
The shaddock or pomelo (Citrus maxima), also giant orange or adam's apple named, is the largest citrus fruit.
It belongs to the family Rutaceae and comes from tropical Southeast Asia. The pomelo is a medium-sized, evergreen tree. The young twigs are slightly hairy and reddish in color. In the leaf there are thorns. The leaves are compared to other citrus plants large, and the underside is slightly hairy. The leaf stalk is broadened (winged). The leaf tip is rounded, the leaf base round to cordate and with the winged petiole overlapping.
The large flowers are available individually or in spike inflorescences with up to 20 flowers in the leaf. The flower buds are white or reddish. The flower consists of five deformed calyx and five free petals. In the center of the flower can be found from 20 to 35 stamens and the round ovary. The pen is clearly distinct from the ovary removed. The fruit is round or flat to slightly pyriform. They are from ten to 15 segments. The skin is thick and the outside yellow or yellow-green color. The central axis of the fruit is ripening in the hollow, the skin (endocarp), which envelops the individual segments, is opened towards the center. The outer shell can be easily removed and also the individual segments can be peeled. The segments are called juice tubs involved in the grapefruit from fairly solid pellicles are surrounded and on cutting the fruit does not burst. There are many varieties with pigmented pink to meat red fruits, caused by the carotenoid lycopene, which is enriched at high summer temperatures in the juice tubs. Some varieties have fruits of up to 30 cm in diameter and weight about two kilograms. The seeds may very numerous depending on variety (up to 200 per fruit) or even non-existent. They are large, irregularly shaped and striated, inside whitish.
Since March 2009 one specimen stands in our yard in Lucianópolis, which has already fruited rich after 4 years, unfortunately I couldn't eat the harvest in Brazil because of the new residence law for citizens of the European Union (visafree 90 days per half year) and had to leave on 1st February 2013 Brazil earlier, but the family of Antonio will eat the harvest. It has became one vigorous tree. I planted further 3 seeds of the species on 26th October 2012.
Seedling plant of Citrus maxima from Helton Josué in January 2013.
Fruits of Citrus maxima 'Zamboa' in January 2013 in our garden.
Close-up of one fruit of Citrus maxima 'Zamboa' in January 2013.
Updated by Joachim Jaeck on October 14th, 2013