All, But All, About Citrus

Most people won’t read James Saunt’s “Citrus Varieties of the World--Second Edition” (Sinclair International, $60) at a sitting, but it’s more than a reference work. If you like citrus, it’s fun to browse through, and it’s the book if you’re wondering what those big freaky lemons on the tree in the yard might be (Ponderosa); what’s the difference between Mexican and Key limes (none); or what a bergamot is (cross of sour orange and sweet lime, used in perfumes and tea).

The book is organized by fruit type (orange, mandarin, lemon, etc.), with an entry for each variety, addressing its origin, physical characteristics, place in commerce and uses. There’s only a little technical language, not enough to hinder the general reader. Most entries have a photo, shot in an English studio, showing the fruit whole and cut open.

Saunt, who has spent 40 years in the citrus industry, clearly has sampled a lot of fruit. (He recently retired from Sinclair International, the publisher, which also manufactures equipment used to affix stickers to fruits.)

The worldwide perspective is impressive, though Saunt is weaker on California. For instance, he says that the Valencia orange leads production here, though navels have surpassed them for 25 years.

The new edition adds 30 pages of fresh material, including new varieties like the Cara Cara pink-fleshed navel, and old ones left out of the first edition, such as the Calamondin. There’s an expanded introduction, and a much amplified section on rootstocks (where else can you see photos of the fruit of rootstock varieties?).

This book isn’t cheap, but it’s well-produced and the best available work on the subject; the previous edition, issued in 1990, went out of print and was hard to find. Lance Walheim’s 1996 work, “Citrus” (Ironwood Press, $17.95), offers a better guide for California home gardeners, though it has much less anecdotal detail.

R.W. Hodgson’s “Horticultural Varieties of Citrus,” issued as Chapter 4 of “The Citrus Industry, Vol. 1” (University of California, 1967), remains the ultimate source for historical detail and obscure varieties (yuzuquats!); it has long been out of print, but the text has recently appeared online at https://library.ucr.edu/agnic/webber.

“Citrus Varieties of the World” may be difficult to find in bookstores, but it is available from Florida Science Source, (941) 383-4680, or from the Internet at https://www.ultimatecitrus.com/fssource.