Citrus reticulata Blanco
Citrus tankan Hayata

CRC 2224
PI 539239

Source

Received as a live plant from C.P.B. in 1930.

Parentage/origins

C. reticulata x C. sinensis (unknown cultivars)

Rootstocks of accession

Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange

Season of ripeness at Riverside

Unknown at this time.

Notes and observations

WPB: These were identified as Tankan by Hu in 1951, it is a tangor.
1985, EMN: This accession had seedling yellows, removed by thermotherapy .
4/1987, EMN: Small orange fruit, peels & sections readily, more mandarin like than tangor-ish. Flavor OK but too much rag. Apparently an alternate-bearer. This accession apppears identical to CRC 3875.

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967)

"Fruit medium-large to large, subglobose to broadly pyriform (from development of neck); base rounded or with more or less prominent and furrowed neck; apex slightly rounded or flattened.  Rind medium-thick (for mandarin), moderately adherent but readily peelable; surface pebbled and commonly somewhat wrinkled; deep orange-colored at maturity.  Segments about 10, readily separable: axis semi-hollow.  Flesh deep orange; tender, very juicy; flavor rich and sweet.  Seeds few to many.  Medium-late in maturity.  Retains quality when held on tree and ships and stores well.

Tree of medium vigor and size, upright, virtually thornless; leaves medium-large, broadly lanceolate, and taper-pointed, with midribs strongly prominent above and petioles margined to narrowly winged.  Productive.

According to Tanaka (1929b), the Tankan is a very old variety that originated in southeastern China and early spread to Formosa and Japan, where its culture is confined to the hotter portions of Kagoshima Prefecture.  Tanaka considers it to be one of the finest citrus fruits of the Orient.  While the tree characters are almost entirely mandarin, the fruit exhibits certain features which suggest the possibility that it is a natural tangor.  It is classified by Tanaka (1954) as C. tankan Hayata.

Kosho Tankan is a Formosan derivative that is characterized by fruit of larger size, superior quality, and later maturity."

Availability

Not commercially available in California.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Tankan tangor CRC 2224