Papeda (citrus) facts for kids

Ichang papeda

Papeda is a common name for a group of citrus plants. These plants come from tropical Asia. They are very tough and grow slowly. Their fruits are usually not very tasty to eat.

A scientist named Walter Tennyson Swingle once grouped these plants together. He thought they were a special group called 'Papeda'. This group included fruits like the Ichang lemon, yuzu, and kaffir lime.

However, new studies using genetics show that these plants don't all belong in one group. Even so, people still use the name "papeda" for them.

Papeda plants grow slowly. Their fruits are often bitter. Because of this, they are not grown much for eating or selling. Some papedas, like the Ichang papeda, are used in gardens. Others are important for growing other citrus trees. They can be used as a base plant (called a rootstock). This helps make new citrus plants stronger. Papeda plants can also help create new types of citrus that can fight diseases or handle cold weather.

Sometimes, the skin or leaves of papeda fruits are used to add flavor in Asian cooking.

Scientists believe that four main types of citrus are the ancestors of most citrus fruits we eat today. These are the citron, pomelo, mandarin, and papedas. They mixed naturally or through breeding. For example, the Key lime is a mix of a papeda called micrantha and a citron. The Key lime then led to many other types of limes.

Types of Papeda

Citrus fruits grouped by their genes. Citrus micrantha (top right) is a type of papeda.

This chart shows how different citrus fruits are related. ML: Mexican lime; A: alemow; V: Volkamer lemon; M: Meyer lemon; L: lemons; B: bergamot orange; H: haploid clementine; C: clementines; S: sour oranges; O: sweet oranges; G: grapefruits.

There are four main types of papeda plants that scientists recognize. These include:

• Citrus cavaleriei - also known as the Ichang papeda.
• Citrus halimii - called the mountain citron.
• Citrus latipes - known as the khasi papeda.
• Citrus hystrix - this is the kaffir lime or Mauritius papeda.

Many natural types of papeda also exist. Some of these are now seen as smaller groups within a species. For example, the Citrus hystrix var. micrantha is a small-flowered papeda. It is known as biasong in some places.

Papeda Hybrids

Papedas have also mixed with other citrus types to create new fruits. These are called hybrids. Some well-known hybrids include:

• Ichandarins: These are mixes of ichang papeda and mandarin oranges.
  • Yuzu: A popular fruit from Japan, it's an ichang papeda mixed with a mandarin.
  • Sudachi: Another Japanese citrus, also an ichang papeda and mandarin hybrid.
• Ichang lemon: This fruit is a mix of ichang papeda and pomelo.
• Kabosu: This is a hybrid of ichang papeda and bitter orange.