Liu Hang-Xiu, Feng Di, Long Chun-Rui, Zhou Xian-Yan, Liu Hong-Ming, Yang Hong-Xia, DU Yu-Xia, Guo Li-Na, Fu Xiao-Meng, Ma Zhao-Cheng, Yue Jian-Qiang
Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Cash Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences Baoshan 678000, China.
Institute of Health from Horticulture, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070, China.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2021 Dec;46(23):6289-6293. doi: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20211012.102.
The ripe dried fruit of citron(Citrus medica) is one of the important sources of Chinese herb Citri Fructus. At the same time, it is also grown for edible and ornamental uses. There are many species and abundant genetic variation. To clarify the intraspecific variation and resource distribution of citron, this study investigated the variation in 11 citron fruits, basically covering the main species in China, including Xiaoguo citron(C. medica var. ethrog), Goucheng(C. medica var. yunnanensis), Muli citron(C.medica var. muliensis), Dehong citron(C.medica×Citrus spp.), Fuzhou citron(C.medica×C.grandis?), Mawu(C.medica×C.grandis?), Cangyuan citron, Binchuan citron, Sweet citron, Big citron, and Small citron. The natural communities of citron were proved to be mainly distributed in the southwestern and western Yunnan and southeastern Tibet of China, with Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Hubei, and Zhejiang identified as the main production areas. Citron has also been widely grown in India, the Mediterranean region, and the Caribbean coast countries. The field investigation revealed the large-scale intraspecific variation of citron fruits. Most of the fruits are oval-like or sphere-like in shape. The fruits are green when raw and yellow when ripe, with oil cell dots on the skin, stripe-likes running from top to bottom, and bulge at the top. Usually, in the smaller citron fruits, the pulp and juice vesicles are better developed and the central columella is tighter. By contrast, the juice vesicles and central columella in larger fruits became more vacant, with carpels visible, and the apex segregation and development of the carpels is one of the reasons for variation. These variations should be given top priority in the future variety selection and breeding, and the quality differences of different citron species and their mechanisms should be further studied. In particular, variety selection and classification management according to their medicinal or edible purposes will provide scientific and technological supports for the orderly, safe, and effective production of citron products consumed as food and medicine.
香橼（Citrus medica）的成熟干燥果实是中药材香橼的重要来源之一。同时，它也被种植用于食用和观赏。香橼有许多品种，遗传变异丰富。为了阐明香橼的种内变异和资源分布，本研究调查了11种香橼果实的变异情况，基本涵盖了中国的主要品种，包括小果香橼（C. medica var. ethrog）、枸橙（C. medica var. yunnanensis）、木里香橼（C.medica var. muliensis）、德宏香橼（C.medica×Citrus spp.）、福州香橼（C.medica×C.grandis?）、麻窝（C.medica×C.grandis?）、沧源香橼、宾川香橼、甜香橼、大香橼和小香橼。事实证明，香橼的自然群落主要分布在中国云南西南部和西部以及西藏东南部，云南、四川、广西、重庆、湖北和浙江被确定为主要产区。香橼也在印度、地中海地区和加勒比海岸国家广泛种植。实地调查揭示了香橼果实存在大规模的种内变异。大多数果实呈椭圆形或球形。果实未成熟时为绿色，成熟时为黄色，果皮上有油胞点，有自上而下的条纹状，顶部有凸起。通常，在较小的香橼果实中，果肉和汁胞发育较好，中心柱较紧密。相比之下，较大果实中的汁胞和中心柱变得更加中空，心皮可见，心皮的顶端分离和发育是变异的原因之一。这些变异在未来的品种选择和育种中应被优先考虑，并且应进一步研究不同香橼品种的质量差异及其机制。特别是根据其药用或食用目的进行品种选择和分类管理，将为作为食品和药品消费的香橼产品的有序、安全和有效生产提供科技支持。
