Pomelo - Wikipedia

Citrus fruit from Southeast Asia "Yòuzi" and "Nobap fruit" redirect here. For the smaller citrus fruit, see Yuzu. For the film, see Nobap.

Pomelo
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Citrus
Species:	C. maxima
Binomial name
Citrus maxima(Burm.) Merr.

The pomelo (/ˈpɒmɪloʊ,ˈpʌm-/ POM-il-oh, PUM-;[2][3] or pummelo, Citrus maxima), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefruit, the pomelo is commonly eaten and used for festive occasions throughout Southeast and East Asia. As with the grapefruit, phytochemicals in the pomelo have the potential for drug interactions.

Description

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The pomelo tree can be 5–15 meters (16–50 feet) tall, with a trunk, often rather crooked, that is 10–30 centimeters (4–12 inches) thick, and low-hanging, irregular branches. The petioles (leaf stalks) are distinctly winged. The leaves are alternate, ovate or elliptic in shape, and 5–20 cm (2–8 in) long; they are leathery and dull green above, hairy beneath. The flowers — single or in clusters — are fragrant and yellow-white in color.[4]

The fruit is large, 10–30 cm (4–12 in) in diameter, round or somewhat pear-shaped.[4] Its weight varies by cultivar from 0.26–1.95 kilograms (0.6–4.3 pounds).[5] It has a thicker rind than a grapefruit, and is divided into 11 to 18 segments.[4] The flesh is less acidic than that of the grapefruit.[4][6]

The pomelo has at least sixty cultivars.[7] The fruit generally contains a few, relatively large seeds, but some varieties have numerous seeds.[4] The characteristics of pomelo vary widely across South Asia.[4]

The pomelo is native to Southeast Asia and all of Malaysia.[4] The tree may have been introduced to China around 100 BCE, and is now heavily cultivated in Southern China.[4] Seeds of the tree were first brought to the Americas in the late 1600s.[4]

• Seedling
• Flowers
• Tree
• Fruit

History

[edit]

Ancestral Citrus species

[edit] See also: Citrus taxonomy

The pomelo is significant botanically as one of the three major wild ancestors of several cultivated hybrid Citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit; and less directly also of the lemon, the sweet orange, and some types of mandarin.[8][9] The bitter orange is a naturally occurring hybrid between the pomelo and the mandarin.[9] The grapefruit is a hybrid between a pomelo and a sweet orange,[9] which is why 63% of the grapefruit's genome comes from the pomelo.[10] The bitter orange is a hybrid of wild type mandarin and pomelo; in turn, the lemon is a hybrid of bitter orange and citron, i.e. cultivated lemons have some pomelo ancestry.[9] In addition, there has been repeated introgression of pomelo genes into both early cultivated hybrid mandarins and later mandarin varieties, these last also involving hybridization with the sweet orange. Pomelo genes are thus included in many types of cultivated Citrus.[9]

Etymology

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According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the word 'pomelo' is uncertain.[11] It may be derived from Dutch pompelmoes.[4] The Dutch name in turn has uncertain etymology, but is possibly derived from Dutch pompel 'swollen' or pompoen 'pumpkin', combined with limoes 'lemon, citrus fruit', influenced by Portuguese limões with the same meaning.[12] An alternative possibility is that the Dutch name derives from Portuguese pomos limões 'citrus fruit'.[12] The specific name maxima is the female form of the Latin for 'biggest'.[13]

One theory for the alternative English name 'shaddock' is that it was adopted after the plant's introduction into Barbados by a 'Captain Shaddock' of the East India Company (apparently Philip Chaddock, who visited the island in the late 1640s).[14][15] From there the name spread to Jamaica in 1696.[16]

Taxonomy

[edit]

In his Herbarium Amboinense, published posthumously in 1741, Georg Eberhard Rumphius named it Limo decumanus.[17][18] In 1753, Carl Linnaeus mentioned the plant as a subspecies, Citrus aurantium var grandis.[17][19] In 1755, Johannes Burman validly described the species from the type specimen, giving it the name Aurantium maximum, now considered a basionym.[20] In 1757, Pehr Osbeck named it Citrus grandis.[17][21] Linnaeus revisited the taxonomy in 1767, renaming the species as Citrus decumana.[17][22] In 1917, Elmer Drew Merrill revised and renamed it Citrus maxima.[20][17] Aurantioideae remains as a subfamily.[23]

As food

[edit]

Nutrition

[edit] Pomelo, raw

Flesh of a pomelo
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	159 kJ (38 kcal)
Carbohydrates	9.62 g
Dietary fiber	1 g
Fat	0.04 g
Protein	0.76 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Thiamine (B1) 3% 0.034 mg Riboflavin (B2) 2% 0.027 mg Niacin (B3) 1% 0.22 mg Vitamin B6 2% 0.036 mg Vitamin C 68% 61 mg Minerals Quantity %DV† Iron 1% 0.11 mg Magnesium 1% 6 mg Manganese 1% 0.017 mg Phosphorus 1% 17 mg Potassium 7% 216 mg Sodium 0% 1 mg Zinc 1% 0.08 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	89 g
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[24] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[25]

Raw pomelo flesh is 89% water, 10% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat. A 100-gram reference amount provides 159 kilojoules (38 kilocalories) of food energy, and is rich in vitamin C (68% of the Daily Value), with no other micronutrients in significant content (table).

Culinary

[edit]

The flesh and juice are edible, and the peel may be candied.[4] It is eaten as a dessert, or used in salads.[4] In the Philippines, a pink beverage is made from pomelo and pineapple juice.[26]

In East Asia, especially in Cantonese cuisine, braised pomelo pith is used to make dishes that are high in fibre and low in fat.[27]

• Ipoh pomelos on sale in Malaysia
• Tam som-o nam pu: spicy Thai pomelo salad with crab extract

Drug interactions

[edit] Main article: Grapefruit–drug interactions

The pomelo, while not itself toxic, can cause adverse interactions similar to those caused by the grapefruit with a wide range of prescription drugs. These occur by the inhibition of cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism of prescription drugs including for example some anti-hypertensives, some anticoagulants, some anticancer agents, some anti-infective agents, some statins, and some immunosuppressants.[28]

Cultivation

[edit]

The seeds of the pomelo are monoembryonic, producing seedlings with genes from both parents, so they do not breed true to type.[29] However, they are usually fairly similar to the tree they grow from and therefore in Asia, pomelos are typically grown from seed.[4] Seeds can be stored for 80 days at a temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) with moderate relative humidity.[4] Pomelos can be propagated vegetatively by air-layering, by taking cuttings, by grafting, by shield budding, or by tissue culture.[29]

• Pomelos in Pinghe County, Fujian
• Orchard in Vietnam

In culture

[edit]

The pomelo is used in cultural and spiritual festivals across Asia. In China, during the Lunar New Year festival, the fruit is offered to ancestors. Its name is similar to the word for "to have" (有, yǒu), making it a symbol of prosperity and family unity.[30] In Thailand, pomelo is used in rituals such as the Songkran festival.[31] In the Hindu festival of Chhath Puja, pomelo is used as an offering.[32]

• Chhat Puja with pomelo, India

References

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1. ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Citrus maxima". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T62042732A147027490. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T62042732A147027490.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. ^ "pomelo". The Chambers Dictionary (9th ed.). Chambers. 2003. ISBN 0-550-10105-5.
3. ^ "pomelo". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Morton, Julia F. (1987). "Pummelo: Citrus maxima". Fruits of warm climates. NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University. pp. 147–151. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
5. ^ Pan, Tengfei; Ali, Muhammad Moaaz; Gong, Jiangmei; She, Wenqin; Pan, Dongming; Guo, Zhixiong; Yu, Yuan; Chen, Faxing (2021-11-24). "Fruit Physiology and Sugar-Acid Profile of 24 Pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) Cultivars Grown in Subtropical Region of China". Agronomy. 11 (12): 2393. Bibcode:2021Agron..11.2393P. doi:10.3390/agronomy11122393. ISSN 2073-4395.
6. ^ Morton, Julia F. (1987). "Grapefruit: Citrus paradisi". Fruits of warm climates. NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University. pp. 152–158. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
7. ^ Kelley, Jeanne (2016-02-13). "Pomelos, grapefruit's sweeter and mellower relative, have a wealth of flavor". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
8. ^ Klein, Joshua D. (2014). "Citron Cultivation, Production and Uses in the Mediterranean Region". Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World. Vol. 2. pp. 199–214. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9276-9_10. ISBN 978-94-017-9275-2.
9. ^ a b c d e f Wu, Guohong Albert; Terol, Javier; Ibanez, Victoria; López-García, Antonio; Pérez-Román, Estela; et al. (2018). "Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus". Nature. 554 (7692): 311–316. Bibcode:2018Natur.554..311W. doi:10.1038/nature25447. hdl:20.500.11939/5741. PMID 29414943. and Supplement
10. ^ Louzada, Eliezer S.; Ramadugu, Chandrika (June 2021). "Grapefruit: History, Use, and Breeding in: HortTechnology Volume 31 Issue 3 (2021)". Horttechnology. 31 (3). Journals.ashs.org: 243–258. doi:10.21273/HORTTECH04679-20. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
11. ^ "pomelo". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
12. ^ a b "pompelmoes - (grote citrusvrucht (Citrus maxima))". Etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
13. ^ "maximus". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
14. ^ Kumamoto, J.; Scora, R.W.; Lawton, H.W.; Clerx, W.A. (1987). "Mystery of the Forbidden Fruit: Historical Epilogue on the Origin of the Grapefruit, Citrus paradisi (Rutaceae)". Economic Botany. 41 (1): 97–107. Bibcode:1987EcBot..41...97K. doi:10.1007/BF02859356. S2CID 42178548.
15. ^ "Pomelo: The 'lucky' giant citrus". 21 March 2013.
16. ^ American Heritage Dictionary, 1973.
17. ^ a b c d e Merrill, Elmer Drew (1917). An interpretation of Rumphius's Herbarium amboinense. Manila, Philippines: Bureau of printing. p. 296.
18. ^ Rumphius, Georg Eberhard (1741). Herbarium Amboinense. Vol. 2. p. 96.
19. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1753). Species plantarum. p. 783.
20. ^ a b "Taxon: Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr". Augalų Genų Bankas GRIN-Global. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
21. ^ Osbeck, Pehr (1757). Dagbok öfwer en ostindisk Resa åren 1750 [Diary of an East Indian Journey in the Year 1750] (in Swedish). p. 98.
22. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1767). "12". Systema naturae per regna tria naturae. p. 508.
23. ^ "Citrus maxima (CIDGR)". EPPO Global Database. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
24. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
25. ^ "TABLE 4-7 Comparison of Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in This Report to Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in the 2005 DRI Report". p. 120. In: Stallings, Virginia A.; Harrison, Meghan; Oria, Maria, eds. (2019). "Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. pp. 101–124. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. NCBI NBK545428.
26. ^ Hargreaves, Dorothy; Hargreaves, Bob (1970). Tropical Trees of the Pacific. Kailua, Hawaii: Hargreaves. p. 51.
27. ^ "Braised pomelo pith". Week in China. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
28. ^ Bailey, D. G.; Dresser, G.; Arnold, J. M. O. (26 November 2012). "Grapefruit-medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences?". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 185 (4): 309–316. doi:10.1503/cmaj.120951. PMC 3589309. PMID 23184849.
29. ^ a b "[Pomelo] Propagation". International Tropical Fruits Network. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
30. ^ Guri, Catohrinner Joyce (2015-09-27). "Significance of pomelo for Chinese people". Asian Itinerary. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
31. ^ Svasti, Pichaya (2013-08-15). "Pomelo festival in Samut Songkhram". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
32. ^ Yadav, Shikha (November 7, 2024). "Markets bloom with traditional offerings". The Times of India.

v t e Citrus
True species	Australian and Papuan wild limes group Citron Ichang papeda Kaffir lime Kumquats group Mandarin orange Mangshanyegan Mountain citron Pomelo Ryukyu mandarin
Major hybrids	Grapefruit Lemon Lime Orange (sweet orange)
True and hybridcultivars	Alemow Amanatsu Assam lemon Bergamot orange Bizzarria Bitter orange Blood lime Blood orange Byeonggyul Biasong Cam sành Cara Cara navel orange Citrange Citrumelo Citrus taiwanica Clementine Coorg orange Daidai Dekopon Encore Fairchild tangerine Florentine citron Forbidden fruit Ginger lime Haruka Hassaku Hebesu Heen naran Hyuganatsu Imperial lemon Indian wild orange Iyokan Jabara Jaffa orange Jamaican tangelo Kabbad Kabosu Kaji Nemu Kakadu lime Kalpi Kanpei Kawachi bankan Key lime Khasi papeda Kinkoji unshiu Kinnow Kishu mikan Kiyomi Kobayashi mikan Koji Komikan Laraha Lemonade fruit Limón de Pica Lumia Mandelo Mandora Melanesian papeda Melogold Meyer lemon Micrantha Midknight Valencia Orange Murcott Myrtle-leaved orange tree Nagpur orange Nasnaran New Zealand grapefruit Ōgonkan Orangelo/Chironja Oroblanco Palestinian sweet lime Persian lime Pixie mandarin Pompia Ponderosa lemon Ponkan Rangpur Reikou Rhobs el Arsa Rough lemon Samuyao Sanbokan Satsuma mandarin Setoka Shangjuan Shonan Gold Smith Red Valencia Sudachi Suruga yuko Sweet lemon Sweet limetta Tangelo Tangerine Tangor Tsunonozomi Valencia orange Variegated pink lemon Volkamer lemon Winged lime Xã Đoài orange Yūkō Yuzu
Citrons	Balady citron Corsican citron Diamante citron Fingered citron/Buddha's hand Greek citron Moroccan citron Yemenite citron
Mandarin oranges	Cleopatra mandarin Shīkwāsā Nanfengmiju Tachibana Willowleaf orange
Papedas	Celebes papeda Mountain "citron" Ichang papeda
Pomelos	Banpeiyu Dangyuja
Kumquats group	Kumquat species Hong Kong kumquat Meiwa kumquat Oval kumquat Round kumquat Jiangsu kumquat Malayan kumquat Kumquat hybrids (× Citrofortunella) Calamansi Citrangequat Limequat Mandarinquat Procimequat Sunquat Yuzuquat
Australianand Papuanwild limes group	Eromocitrus (former genera) Desert lime Microcitrus (former genera) New Guinea wild lime Australian round lime Russell River lime Maiden's wild lime Mount White lime Australian finger lime Brown River finger lime Clymenia (former genera) Clymenia platypoda Clymenia polyandra Oxanthera (former genera) Orange-flowered oxanthera Large-leaf oxanthera Wavy-leaf oxanthera Oxanthera brevipes
Related genera(perhapsproperly Citrus)	Poncirus/Trifoliate orange
Drinks	Calamansi juice Chūhai Dried lime tea (noomi basra) Grapefruit juice Lemon liqueur Cedratine Curaçao Limoncello Lemonade Mint lemonade Swiss lemonade Lime cordial Limeade Orange juice Triple sec Yuja-hwachae Yuja tea
Products	Calcium citrate Citric acid Chenpi Dried lime Lemonene Limonene Marmalade Neroli Oleo saccharum Orange flower water Orange oil Orange oil tires Orangeat Pickled lime Chanh muối Preserved lemon Succade Zest Twist
Diseases	Black spot Canker CTV/Tristeza Exocortis Greening Mal secco Phytophthora citricola
Citrus botanists	Clara H. Hasse Robert Willard Hodgson Lena B. Smithers Hughes David Mabberley Clément Rodier Robert Soost Walter Tennyson Swingle Chōzaburō Tanaka Ikuro Takahashi Johann Christoph Volkamer Herbert John Webber
Citrus production	Citrus rootstock Kumquat production in China Lemon Capital of the World Lime production in Mexico Orange production in Brazil
Related topics	The Citrus Industry Citrus taxonomy Cold-hardy citrus Hesperidium Japanese citrus List of citrus fruits Mother Orange Tree Orangery University of California Citrus Experiment Station University of California, Riverside Citrus Variety Collection
Category Production Commons

Taxon identifiers
Citrus maxima	Wikidata: Q80024 Wikispecies: Citrus maxima APDB: 90373 APNI: 203535 BOLD: 210640 CoL: VMLB EoL: 488254 EPPO: CIDGR EUNIS: 181680 FNA: 242412666 FoAO2: Citrus maxima FoC: 242412666 GBIF: 3190160 GRIN: 10744 iNaturalist: 54299 IPNI: 30075266-2 IRMNG: 11011636 ITIS: 501574 IUCN: 62042732 MoBotPF: 286742 NCBI: 37334 NZOR: 189d53fa-1a15-433b-911b-a5266cd025f9 Open Tree of Life: 838646 Plant List: kew-2724206 PLANTS: CIMA5 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30075266-2 Tropicos: 28100003 WFO: wfo-0000608138
Aurantium maximum	Wikidata: Q95965693 APDB: 180943 APNI: 208580 CoL: JTBK GBIF: 5593618 GRIN: 314306 IPNI: 771455-1 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:771455-1 Tropicos: 28101759 WFO: wfo-0000557040

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