Rutaceae family(Citrus paradisii)
Rutaceae family
Grapefruit is derived via hybridization between the pummelo (C. grandis) and the orange (C. sinensis), probably on the island of Barbados in the mid-1700s. Grapefruit have apomictic seeds; consequently, all of the variation in current grapefruit cultivars is the result of mutation. The red 'Ruby' grapefruit, for example, resulted from a mutation in the 1920s in South Texas in a white-fleshed variety. Grapefruit are naturally best-adapted to tropical regions with high rainfall. They do not tolerate frost. Grapefruit was hybridized with the tangerine (C. reticulata) to give rise to the tangelo. The fruit of the grapefruit and other citrus is a type of berry known as a hesperidium.
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