This document summarizes information about the Rutaceae family and various citrus species. It describes key features of the family such as winged petioles and gland dotted leaves. It then provides details on the morphology of citrus plants and their fruits known as hesperidium. Finally, it lists and describes several important citrus species found in India such as Citrus medica, Citrus limetta, Citrus aurantium, and Citrus maxima. It references several authoritative texts on medicinal plants.

1. Citrus Sp. -
Rutaceae
By- Dr. Aditi Gandhi
PG Scholar
Dept. of Dravya Guna, SDMCAH, Hassan

2. Introduction
• Family : Rutaceae
Commonly k/a the rue or citrus family.
• Derived from the word- rhutos- ‘shielded’ / ‘to
preserve’, referring to some of its species used as
an antidote & referring to the preservation of the
medicinal properties in many of its species.
• As per taxonomy  160 genera, totaling over to
1600 species
In India : 23 Genera, 80 species.

3. Few plants of this family :
• Bijapoora/ Matulunga- Citrus medica
• Kaidarya- Murraya koenigii
• Bilva- Aegle marmelos
• Kapitha- Feronia limonia Linn.
Feronia acidissima
• Tumburu- Zanthoxylum alatum
• Sadapa- Ruta graveolens
• Toddalia asiatica – ‘dahana/ tikshna-kantaka ’
‘dodda kala menasu’
• Glycosmis pentaphylla – ‘Ashvashakotaka’

4. Key Features ? ?
• Winged petiole (except Bilva, Kaidarya)
• Gland dotted leaves
• Aromatic leaves

5. Citrus species- Features
Trees or shrubs, usually spinous.
Leaves 1-foliolate; alternate, petiole often winged;
Leaflets entire or crenulate, coriaceous, persistent.
Inflorescence – Cymose, solitary, fascicled or in small cymes.
Flowers white or pinkish, sweet-scented,
Aestivation : Valvate (When the members of a whorl make contact
with each other by their margins, or when they lie close to each other
without overlapping, as in custard-apple (Anno na), madar
(Calotropis) etc)
Calyx/ Sepal : Polysepalous
Corolla/ Petals : Regular / Actinomorphic and Gamopetalous: cupular
or urceolate (Corolla- urn (tall rounded vase – where tea is stored)
shaped, Corolla tube – swollen in middle & becomes narrow towards
the apex, e.g. Bryophyllum calcynium), 4-8, linear, oblong, thick,
imbricate.

7. • Androecium :
Stamens 20-60; filaments variously
connate(cohesion- the union of members of the
same whorl, e.g. stamens with each other and
carpels with each other.), compressed @ the base;
Anthers oblong. Disk large, cupular.
• Gynoecium : Ovary many-celled; ovules 4-8 in
each cell, style deciduous; stigma capitate (head
shaped- as a dense terminal cluster of sessile or
nearly sessile flowers, having a rounded head/
collection of head)

8. Fruit- ‘Hesperidium’ :
Develops from a superior polycarpellary syncarpous ovary.
Pericarp- differentiated into glandular skin or epicarp contain oil
glands & often k/a Rind, fibrous mesocarp & Inner membranous &
juicy endocarp, ÷ fruit into many separable chamber. Here, the
endocarp projects inwards, forming distinct chambers, & the epicarp
& mesocarp, fused together, form the loose or tight skin (rind) of the
fruit.
-globose or oblong, fleshy. many-celled; septa membranous; cells
few-seeded, filled with horizontal or fusiform cellules replete with
juice.
Seeds -horizontal or pendulous; testa coriaceous or membranous;
embryos sometimes 2 or more in 1 seed; cotyledons plano-convex,
often unequal; radicle small, superior.

9. Acc. to Indian Medicinal Plants
1. Citrus medica
2. Citrus medica var. proper
3. Citrus medica var. limonum
4. Citrus medica var. acida
5. Citrus medica var.limetta
6. Citrus aurantium
7. Citrus aurantium var. proper
8. Citrus aurantium var. bigaradia
9. Citrus aurantium var. bergamia
10.Citrus maxima

10. Acc. to Wealth of India
• Citrus aurantifolia
• C. aurantium
• C. deliciosa
• C. grandis
• C. jambhiri
• C. karna
• C. latifolia
• C. limetta
• C. limettioides
• C. limon
• C. limonia
• C. lycopersicaeformis
• C. macroptera
• C. maderaspatana
• C. madurensis

11. • C. medica
• C. megaloxycarpa
• C. xnobilis
• C. paradisi
• C. paratangerina
• C. pennivesculata
• C. pseudolimon
• C. reshni
• C. reticulata
• C. rugulosa
• C. sinensis
• C. unshiu
• Citrus hybrids –
1. tangelos C. reticulata and C. paradisi
2. Citranges –Poncirus trifoliata and C. sinensis

12. Citrus medica proper – The citron
• Fruit large, oblong, ovoid or somewhat
irregularly shaped mamilla obtuse;
rind thick, very aromatic;
Pulp scanty, subacute.

15. Citrus limonum – The lemon
• Petiole margined or winged.
Fruit ovoid, yellow, mammillate;
Rind thin; pulp abundant, very acid.

17. Citrus acida - The Sour Lime of India.
• Leaflets elliptic-oblong.
Racemes short; flowers small; petals usually 4.
Fruit usually small, globose or ovoid;
Rind thick or thin; pulp pale, very acid.

19. Citrus limetta- The Sweet Lime of India
• Hindi – mausambi’
• Fruit globose, 7.5-12.5 cm. diam;
Rind thin, smooth, adhering to the pulp,
juice abundant, sweet, not aromatic.

22. Citrus aurantium Linn. – The bitter and
sweet Orange
A tree, rarely a shrub; young shoots glabrous,
greenish white.
Leaves 1-foliolate; leaflets 7.5-15 cm. long, elliptic
or ovate, obtuse, acute or acuminate;
petioles naked or winged, the wing often obovate
and nearly as large as the blade.
Flowers bisexual, pure white. Stamens 20-30.
Fruit globose, generally oblate, not mamillate,
usually orange-coloured; rind loose or adherent;
pulp sweet, yellow, rarely red.

23. Citrus aurantium var.
• Var. 1. Citrus aurantium proper.- C. aurantium
Risso et Poiteau.-The Sweet Orange.
Petiole naked or winged; pulp sweet, yellow,
sometimes red, in loose or adhering rind.

26. • Var. 2. Bigaradia.-C. Bigaradia Risso et
Poiteau.- The Bitter or Seville Orange.
Petiole generally winged; flowers larger and
more strongly scented than those of the
Sweet Orange; rind of fruit very aromatic; pulp
not sweet, bitter or austere.

30. • Var. 3. Bergamia.-C. Bergamia Risso et Poiteau.—
The Bergamot.
Flowers small, very sweet-scented; fruit pear-
shaped or globose; rind smooth, pale yellow;
pulp acidulous, with a pleasant aroma.

34. Citrus maxima , Aurantium maximum Burm. Auct. .—
Citrus decumana Murr. -The Pommelo or Shaddok.
A tree 9-12 m. high; young shoots pubescent.
Leaflets large. 15-23 cm. long, ovate-oblong, frequently
emarginate, pubescent beneath; petioles broadly
winged.
Flowers large, white. Stamens 16-24.
Fruit large, pale yellow, globose or pyriform;
Rind thick; pulp varying in colour from crimson to pale
pink or yellow; vesicles distinct.

40. References
• Indian Medicinal Plants – Kiritikar & Basu Vol 1
• Wealth of India, CSIR, 1992, Vol 3
• Essentials of Dravya Guna – Karnam Chandra
Shekhar
• Google images

41. ? ? ?
• Buddha hand plant
Or the fingered citron
• B.N. – Citron medica
var. sacrodactylis

42. •THANK YOU !