Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

12 Sitwon...Zoranj...Chadek
Species and Common Names:
Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle H - citron (sitwon); RD - lima boba; US - Key
lime, West In,dian lime.
Citrus aurantium L. subsp. aurantium H - orange amer (zoranj si); RD - naranja agria
(DR); US - sour orange.
Citrus maxima (Burman) Merr. H - chadeque (chadek); RD - pomelo, toronja, toronja
de la India; US - pummelo, haddock.
Citrus x paradisi Macfad. H - pamplemouse; RD - pomelo; US - grapefruit.
Citrus reticulata Blanco H - mandarine (mandaren); RD - naranja mandarina; US - tangerine,
mandarin orange, Satsuma orange.
Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck H - orangier, orange dous (zoranj dous); RD - naranja,
naranja dulce; US - sweet orange.
Family: Rutaceae
Importance: The Citrus group of species and cultivars provides an important source of
nutrition and health to Haitians. Citrus products from Haiti turn up in some ofthe finest
liquers and perfumes of the world. This genus provides Haiti an important livelihood,
integrated into the traditional agriculture of most every farmer in Haiti. All parts ofthe
tree are utilized as a source of food, medicine, shade and wood.
Taxonomy and Botanical Features: Fruits commonly known as citrus belong to three
genera: Poncirus, Fortunella and Citrus. The taxonomy of Citrus is confused and complicated
by hybridization, by polyembryony, by mutations, and by autotetraploid forms
(Purseglove, 1968b). As many as 16 species divided into 2 subgenera, Papeda and
Eucitrus, are recognized (Webber and Batchelor, 1948). The cultivated Citrus in Haiti
fall under the Eucitrus subgenus. The fruits represent natural groups of horticultural
varieties, having been selected and bred since remote times. C. sinensis alone comprises
about 1100 cultivars divided into several groups: common orange (e.g., 'Valencia,'
'Shamouti'), navel oranges (e.g., 'Washington,' 'Thomson'), blood oranges from the
Mediterranean region, and sugar oranges. C. reticulata has about 500 cultivars grouped
into 2 varieties: var. deliciosa Swingle (yellow-fruited mandarin and orange-fruited tangerine
cultivars) and var. unshui Swingle (satsuma cultivars). C. aurantifolia is divided
into 2 varieties: the Mexican variety recognized by small fruits with many seeds and the
Tahiti variety that is seedless and large-fruited. C. aurantium is divided into 2 subspecies
that are considered by some authors as separate species: aurantium, which is
common in Haiti and bergamia (Risso & Poit.) Engler that is cultivated in the
Mediterranean (Terrell et aI., 1986). C. maxima is divided into the common, pigmented,
and sweet or nonacid group. C. paradisi is divided into the common and pigmented
groups.
The differences among species are recognized by the morphology of the leaves,
flowers and fruit. Table 12.1 summarizes the morphological differences among the
major citrus species in Haiti.
Distribution and Ecology: The genus Citrus originated in southeast Asia. It has been
reported that Columbus introduced at least two of the species (c. limon and C. sinen-
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