Limequats are a cross between the West India Lime (Key Lime) and the Kumquat. The Eustis Limequat is a hybrid of the West Indian Lime and the round Kumquat. The Lakeland Limequat, which produces a different and larger fruit than the Eustis, is a hybrid from the very same parentage as the Eustis, that is, another cross btween the same two parent trees. Therefore, why the difference in the fruit? Is the pollinating parent different? - Millet

Since they were sexually produced, they should not be identical. Just as a single pair of human parents can have short, tall, blond and brunette kids, yet they're all theirs.

Siince each sperm cell and each egg cell carries only half of the parent's genes, the offspring may share anything from none, up to all of a sibling's genotype, with a nice bell curve (impossibly small odds of getting absolutely no shared genes, nor 100% shared genes), with the curve peaking around 50% sharing.

zygotic recombination. like rolling a pair of dice with the number of times depending upon the number of genes, so to be exactly the same for two zygotic recombination would be one in several millions.

So then, I take it that just repeating the same cross over and over again and again between the West Indian Lime (Key Lime), and the round Kumquat could come up with untold number of simular but different types of Limequats with varing types of fruits ad infinitum - Millet

Yes, if they are actual hybrids from sexual recombination of genes then you would get almost several million different kinds, depending upon which trait you are after.

The key is traits or characteristics which in our perception is not a lot. while the DNA recombination are different ad infinitum, most will have similar characteristics. Perhaps we can only have about a couple dozen really distinct types per our limited perception and testing. It is only the phenotypic expression that we see, unless we analyze the DNA.

Thanks Joe and Dr. Manners. Every day that a person learns something new, or obtains a clearer perception of a "known" knowledge it has been a worth while day. - Millet

One thing good with citruses, is that if you get a combo that you like, you can propagate it exactly as they are.

A great example is crossing 'Duncan' grapefruit and 'Dancy' tangerine -- think of all the astoundingly different tangelos that came out of that one cross.

which of these limequats tastes better?

Man, this was a REALLY cool thread!! It really made me think. Now anytime I plant citrus seeds of any kind, I will definetly wonder what will come out.
Between cross pollination and now the different parentage, Maybe someday I will come up with a Sweet Sour Darren Tangelo. LOL
Darren

Darren, nice to see you posting on this forum, its been a while. I do hear about you from time to time from Citrus Joe. I hope to see you at the 2006 Citrus Expo in Virginia Beach, VA on November 18th. - Millet

Boy, Joe, Dr. Manners and Millet's conversation regarding cross polination are so cool and so collegy and very interesting. Love this forum.

Remember that this gene remixing situation is normal for nearly all plants -- apples, roses, avocados, etc., in which it happens in every single seedling. Citrus is one of the rare exceptions, in which many varieties produce nucellar (clonal) seedlings. That's the "weird" aspect of citrus seeds; not that some seedlings will be sexually produced. There are a few other plants which can do this -- some mangos and some magnolias come to mind, as well as a good number of herbaceous species, especially in the daisy family. But overall in the plant kingdom, it's quite rare.

I got budwood from a friend's tree a few weeks ago for both eustis and lakeland limequats. I'll let you know in two years about the tastes. I didn't think to try them when I got the budwood. His trees were covered with fruit. The eustis buds all took but the lakeland buds didn't take(budded to two of my meyer lemon trees I have in pots.). I've tried again with the lakeland and so far so good as I budded to a different couple of trees.

I have always thought that Lakeland and Eustis were similar in appearance, with Eustis being superior taste wise. I am not sure how I came by this idea though.

I really am not sure about the difference in appearance between the two, even though I have what I believe is Eustis and maybe even Lakeland. Does anyone know distinguishing differences, whereby one can differentiate between the two? The growers in Florida all seem to call them "limequat", without reference to variety. I even see one grower using a tag with this wording: "Key Lime (Limequat)". If I posted a picture, could anyone clearly identify the variety?

Tavares is pretty distinctive in shape and is easier to identify.