Citrus fruits’ hometown is in China, a genetic analysis suggests.
Today, myriad tart fruits — including human-bred versions of oranges, lemons and limes — stockpile grocery store shelves. But it’s unclear where their oldest ancestors evolved. Previous studies pointed to places like northeastern Australia, southern China or the southeastern foothills of the Himalayas. Piecing together citrus evolution could help researchers make drought- or disease-resilient plant varieties that still bear tasty fruit, says horticulturalist Qiang Xu (SN: 4/14/15).
To pinpoint Citrus’ origins, Xu, of Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China and colleagues built a family tree using the genetic blueprints of 314 Citrus and Citrus-related plants, which included 15 Citrus species. The researchers also trekked into the field to find where the trees grow in the wild. The oldest citrus fruits — including C. trifoliata, the trifoliate orange — are found in south central China, suggesting that region is the genus’ birthplace.
Citrus evolution didn’t stop there. Some species have roots in the regions that the earlier studies identified, the team found. Pomelo and citron fruits appear to have sprung up in the Himalayan foothills, and some wild limes evolved in Australia.
2023-10-02 10:00:00
Original from www.sciencenews.org