Sampson

Synonyms

None

Cultivar or taxon

Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Tangelo Group] [=Citrus reticulata Blano X Citrus x aurantium L., pro sp. [Grapefruit Group]] (sensu Mabberley 1997, 2004); Citrus reticulata Blanco x Citrus paradisi Macfad. (sensu Swingle and Reece 1967); Citrus paradisi Macfad. x C. tangerina Yu. Tanaka (sec. NPGS/GRIN 2010; sensu Tanaka sec. Cottin 2002)

Origin

Hodgson (1967) noted that: "Sampson is a grapefruit and Dancy tangerine hybrid resulting from a cross made in 1897 by Swingle in Florida. It was named and described by Webber and Swingle of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1904."

Description

Crown compact or dense, not weeping. First-year twig surface glabrous; second- or third-year twig surface striate; thorns absent or not persistent; prickles absent or not persistent. Petiole glabrous, length medium; wings narrow or medium, adjoining the blade. Leaflets one, margin crenate/crenulate or bluntly toothed, shade leaflet blades weakly conduplicate, sun leaflet blades weakly or strongly conduplicate. Scent of crushed leaflets mandarin-like. Fruit as broad as long or longer than broad; rind green-yellow (6), yellow (7-10), yellow-orange (11), or orange (12); rind texture smooth (1-3) or slightly rough (4-5); firmness leathery; navel absent; flesh orange; taste acidic-sweet.

 

Hodgson (1967) provided the following additional notes on the cultivar:

 

"Fruit medium-sized, globose to slightly obovate; often somewhat necked; color orange-yellow; seedy. Rind smooth, thin, relatively adherent; axis semi-hollow. Flesh color dull orange; juicy, somewhat acid; flavor with distinctive bitterish tang. Late-midseason in maturity. Seeds highly polyembryonic.

 

Tree vigorous, spreading, large, and productive; leaves distinctive, cupped, and boat-like."

Notes

Hodgson (1967) additionally noted that this cultivar bears more resemblance to grapefruits and pummelos.

In addition, Hodgson (1967) noted that: "It has never attained commercial importance, except as a rootstock to a limited extent, but is still grown somewhat as an ornamental and an oddity."

References

Cottin, R. 2002. Citrus of the World: A citrus directory. Version 2.0. France: SRA INRA-CIRAD.

Hodgson, R.W. 1967. Horticultural varieties of Citrus. In: Reuther, W., H.J. Webber, and L.D. Batchelor (eds.). The Citrus industry, rev. University of California Press. http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html.

Mabberley, D.J. 1997. A classification for edible Citrus (Rutaceae). Telopea 7: 167–172.

Mabberley, D.J. 2004. Citrus (Rutaceae): A review of recent advances in etymology, systematics and medical applications. Blumea 49: 481–498.

Swingle, W.T. and P.C. Reece. 1967. The botany of Citrus and its wild relatives. In: Reuther, W., H.J. Webber, and L.D. Batchelor (eds.). The Citrus industry. Ed. 2. Vol. I. University of California, Riverside. http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter3.html.

Resources

Search for this cultivar in NCBI Entrez