Pomelo

Pomelo

Scientific name: Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.

Common Names : Pomelo, Limau Bali, Limau Besar, Shaddock, Pummelo, Limau Betawi

Local name: Batabi lebu/Jambura

Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1988)

Kingdom        :Plantae

Division          :Magnoliophyta

Class               :Magnoliopsida

Subclass          : Rosidae

Order              :Sapindales

Family             :Rutaceae

Genus              : Citrus

Species            : C. maxima

Botanical Description of Pomelo

Habit: Perennial woody shrub

Root: Tap root system

Stem: Woody, branched, sparsely spiny

Leaf: Palmetely compound, unifoliate

Inflorescence: Axillary umbel cyme

Flower: pedicillate, complete, actinomorphic

Calyx: Sepal 4-5, gamosepalous, valvate

Corolla: Petal 4-5, polypetalous

Androecium: Stamen numerous, in many bundles

Gynoecium: Ovary superior, multilocular, syncarpous, placentation axile

Fruit: A hesperedium

Chromosome number: 2n=18,36

Economic Importance

• Used as fruit
• Its juice is also used as drink
• The fruit is used as medicine in the treatment of influenza and catarrh

Table 1. Pummelo varieties developed by Horticultural Research Center, BARI, Joydebpur, Bangladesh; Germplasm Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, Bangladesh