A citrus of a different shape

Going back to the convoluted story of Citrus, I bring you the Buddha's hand citron (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis). This odd fruit looks the creation of a Monsanto scientist gone mad- combining the genes of a squid with a lemon (which is something I wouldn't be surprised they've tried).



It is a pulp-less citron containing a thick 'albedo' (the white part of a Citrus rind). What's the use of a pulp-less Citrus? The peel! This unusually shaped fruit is esteemed for its incredible fragrance which is citrusy and somewhat floral. A Japanese scientist (Shiota 1990) studied the essential oil of Buddha's hand citron and found that it contained a ketone known as beta-ionone, which is also important to the aroma of roses.

The Buddha's hand citron likely originated in China but it was quickly spread to India, Korea and Japan. Well-known and widespread by the 10th century in China, this fruit was depicted in paintings, carved in jade, and lacquered panels.

The Chinese origin hypothesis is supported by the diversity of varieties in China, particularly of a variety from Yunnan known as "Muli" which has characteristics intermediate with typical citrons: only partial 'fingers', corrugations on the sides, and a small amount of pulp with few seeds. China has varieties developed for larger fruits, more 'fingers', and for bonsai. In the US, there is only one, possible two varieties. It can only be grown in frost-free areas such as southern California, Florida and south Texas.


Buddha's hand citron acquired its appellation due to its resemblance to a hand in prayer and use as an offering at temples and shrines. This fruit is popular during Chinese New Years when its fruit harvest peaks. It is not uncommon to see it in the Buddhist shrines in the entryway of Asian grocery stores. In Japan it is often placed in the household shrine (kamidana) or Buddha alter (butsudan) to scent the home. It is used in place of flowers to provide scent and color.

Buddha's hand citron makes an excellent zest when grated off the fruit. The peel and rind can be candied or made into marmalade. Vodka infused with the zest with some simple syrup added creates a lovely liqueur. If more peel is infused in the vodka (sans the syrup) it can be used as a flavoring agent in baked goods and dessert much like vanilla extract.

Fruit at the market

You might think that the only type of ethnobotanist is a fellow like Richard Evans Schultes who travels in exotic places seeking out, strange and unusual tribal plant uses. Ethnobotany is in your backyard! Literally. Even that Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue has been bred to suit the peculiar American tastes in emulating an overgrazed English pasture. Without this attention by humans these species would not be as widespread as they are now.

A farmer's market provides an excellent opportunity to observe ethnobotany in action locally. Below shows some of the plant products produced in Southern California and available in January.

The basket in the lower right contains passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) which is prized for its fragrance and tart pulp. The planting of passion fruit and the closely related passion flowers (P. incarnata) have lead to the range expansion of the gulf fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) from the Gulf Coast into interior Mexico and California. The gulf fritillary uses passion vine as its larval host plant, so without passion vine there would be no gulf fritillaries around.

The middle basket holds guava (Psidium guajava). This Neotropical fruit is also known for scent. You should be able to catch of whiff of that distinct musky fruit vapor just walking by the stall. Besides just being a soft, sweet but seedy morsel, the unripe guavas are eaten by the Ngobe people of Panama to treat diarrhea. I have heard of Californians making guava jam.


The small green fruits in single layer trays are the delicate and delicious sapote blanco (Casimiroa edulis). They feature a thin green skin which easily slips away from the soft white flesh when it is fully ripe. The skin is bitter but the fruit under it is very sweet with a creamy but slightly gritty texture. Imagine a pear custard. Inside there are from one to five big white seeds. Oddly enough this fruit which seems so unlike an orange is in the citrus family- Rutaceae. Native to Mexico, where there are many kinds of 'sapote', this fruit was known to the Aztecs as the 'sleeping sapote' because of the alleged drowsiness caused by eating it.

Aloe leaves are on offer in the middle of the table. Aloe (Aloe vera) is a well known plant for the healing of skin problems from sunburns to scratches to sores. The extract contains antibacterial and antifungal compounds. It also contains a glycoside known as aloin, which is a stimulant laxative. Ever wonder why aloe is included in so many 'herbal cleanse' regimens?

Citrus! Oranges have a long and undocumented history of hybridization. The base species for most 'typical' oranges (id est navel, valencia, blood, cara cara et cetera) is Citrus sinensis.
The lower left bin contains mandarin oranges which belong to C. reticulata. The region of origin and center of diversity of Citrus is southeast Asia.

Here is the sour side of Citrus. In the photo (from right to left), there are meyer lemons (C. x meyeri), 'eureka' lemon (C. x limon), 'Persian' lime (C. latifolia), sweet lime (C. limetta), and key lime (C. aurantifolia). Eureka lemon and Persian lime are the common varieties widely available in supermarkets throughout the US. Meyer lemons are Chinese hybrid between mandarins and common lemons that was brought to the US by a fellow named Meyer. They are slightly less acidic and have a more complex 'citrusy' aroma. Sweet lime lacks the acidic bite of many of the other limes and originates in the Mediterranean basin. Key limes are rounder and smaller than common limes. Their aroma is a bit different as well. Key limes are used for key lime pie and the Vietnamese salted limes "chanh muối " which are used to flavor a soda drink.


The green, scaled fruit in the bins is cherimoya (Annona cherimola). This lovely fruit originates in the new world tropics somewhere between Central America and Peru. It has a thin skin and a soft, white, custardy flesh with shiny hard black seeds. The taste is sweet but light with a fruity scent. It makes great shakes.

The fruits prominently displayed in front are pomelos or trái bưởi (Citrus maxima) which are similar to large mildly flavored, non-bitter grapefruits with very thick rinds. They are popular with the southeast Asian community and never caught on nationwide.
On the right the dried red fruits are Chinese dates or jujube (Ziziphus ziziphus). The fresh fruits are similar to small sweet apples without the tartness. When dried they bear a slight resemblance to dates. Often they are rehydrated and cooked in hotpot soups.
On the left are longan (Dimocarpus longan) which have a thin leather outer skin and a sweet translucent flesh surrounding a shiny black seed. This is another species from southeast Asia. Southern California's climate is not the best suited to growing this fruit due to the low humidity most of the year. It is most commonly planted in the backyards of Asian immigrants who remember those sweet drupes fondly from their original countries.
In the center are apples (Malus domestica). Apples originated in central Asia, probably near present day Kazakhstan. Apples are featured in the myths of several Indo-european cultures indicating their early cultural importance. But nothing is American as apple pie. The legendary Johny Appleseed was probably not too interested in promoting pies because the primary use of apples in 19th century America was to make hard cider.

Thanks to Barry Koral's Tropical Fruit Farm, Creekside Tropicals and Hillcrest Farmer's Market.

Eco-ethno-botany Beginnings...

Eco-ethno-botany.

This blog is dedicated to everyone who has an interest in plants, people and their interactions with the world as a whole. Some names I would like to have on my dedication list follows:

Theophrastus, Pliny the Elder, Valerius Cordus, Carl Nilsson Linnæus, Alexander von Humboldt, Asa Gray, Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, John W. Harshberger, Richard Evans Schultes, and Wade Davis to name a few.


More personal influences I would like to acknowledge are:

My father, mother, grandparents, Don Elliot, Harvey ?, Craig Tomkow, Dr. Alan Rebertus, Dr. Donna Becker, and Carlos Ramirez-Sosa.

The topics to be discussed will have a tie in with botany, anthropology, ecology, natural history and agriculture. Food will be a frequent topic, as it is humanity's most important connection with plants. Without the sustenance from plants society could not exist. I hope to introduce many vegetables and herbs that will be unfamiliar to most readers. Plants served as man's first medicines and the majority of medicines today are derived from plant sources. Long before aspirin Hippocrates wrote of powdered willow bark and digoxin is still extracted from foxgloves. I hope to point out a modern nexus with traditional plant knowledge. Plants provide us shelter from the cloths on our backs and the roofs over our heads. There is good chance that a wooden utility pole is helping transmit this information to you now. Plants have aesthetic value as formal gardens and the inspirations of art. My goal is to increase awareness and appreciation of the role of plants in human life ancient, modern and future.

People and plants have been intertwined since our origins. Far back in prehistory, humans learned to recognize the beneficial from the harmful and the stimulating from the sedating.
Throughout history we have depended on plants and our relationship will continue to grow as new uses for known species are discovered. Undiscovered plant species may bear fruit for mankind, sustenance which yet remains undreamt.

I invite you to visit, read and interact with the Eco-ethno-botany blog periodically and observe how plants play a role in your life.