Well, it is just my curiosity... again.

Our friends brought us a sack of fruits they were referring to as mandarins. The fruits came from their neighbor's tree back in Dickinson, TX.

The fruits look, smell, and taste like nothing I saw before.
Here are some pictures...

Besides that they look like they were picked up quite a while ago, fruits are bright orange, round or nearly round 4-5 cm (around 1") in diameter

The rind is thin and peels easily.


They do not smell like mandarins, they do not smell like oranges... They remind me a lime to some extend. There are absolutely no seeds (at least, 5 fruits we ate did not have any). Finally, they taste like... nothing! The taste is so bland that my mother-in-law refused to have another bite!

I am just curious what in the world they are? I will avoid this cultivar by all means.

Thank you!

They look like otaheite limes, which are an acidless form of Rangpur lime.

Dr. Manners,
Thank you very much! You must be absolutely right. They smell like limes and are acidless. I was always wondering how citrus fruits would taste without their tartness... I know the answer now: disappointing.
Thank you again!

Most types of citrus seem to have an acidless eqivalent. They are much appreciated in some countries. There are sweet lemons and limettas, as well as oranges - 'Sucrena' in Spain, 'Vainiglio' in Italy, 'Succari' in Egypt.
Acidless pummelos have been crossed with grapefruits to produce varieties which are less acidic in cooler climates.
I've always thought that Poncirus crossed with some of these acidless varieties might produce a more palatable hardy fruit. Unfortunately, it's taken me so long to obtain any acidless types (I now have a sweet lemon and a limetta) that any hybridization experiments will probably take more years than I'm likely to be around!

Citrange,

I did not mean to be offensive in my assessment of the fruit test. Different people have different preferences, for instance, the friends, who brought us the fruits, love them!

Your hybridization planes sound very interesting! I am sure you will have great success and wish you luck and good health!