Editing Grapefruit (section)

== Description ==

[[File:Grapefruit.ebola.jpeg|thumb|Grapefruit growing in the grape-like clusters from which their name may derive]]

The evergreen grapefruit trees usually grow to around {{convert|4.5|–|6|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, although they may reach {{convert|13.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=morton/> The leaves are up to {{convert|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, thin, glossy, and dark green. They produce {{convert|5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} white flowers with four or five petals. The fruit is yellow-orange skinned and generally an [[oblate spheroid]] in shape; it ranges in diameter from {{convert|10|to|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}. Its flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in color depending on the [[cultivar]]s, which include white, pink, and red pulps of varying sweetness (generally, the redder varieties are the sweetest).<ref name=morton/>

=== Varieties ===

{{Redirect |Star Ruby |star stone |Asterism (gemology)}}

[[File:Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit, pink) white bg.jpg|thumb|left|"Red" grapefruit]]

White grapefruit varieties include Camulos, Cecily, Duncan, Frost Marsh, Genetic Dwarf Marsh, Hall, Jochimsen, Marsh seedy, Nicholson navel, Perlis, Reed Marsh, Tetraploid, Warren Marsh, and Whitney Marsh.<ref>{{cite web |title=White grapefruits |url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus-varieties/category-or-type/grapefruit/white |publisher=University of California Riverside |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref> 

Red or pink grapefruit varieties include Flame, Foster Pink, Henderson Ruby, Hudson Foster, Marsh Pink, Ray Ruby, Redblush, Rio Red, Shambar, and Star Ruby.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red/Pink grapefruits |url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus-varieties/category-or-type/grapefruit/red-pink |publisher=University of California Riverside |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref>

{{anchor |Ruby Red}}The 1929 'Ruby Red' (or 'Redblush') patent was associated with real commercial success, which came after the discovery of a red grapefruit growing on a pink variety.<ref name=morton/> The [[Texas Legislature]] designated this variety the official "State Fruit of Texas" in 1993.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Hatch |editor-first=Rosie |title=Texas Almanac 2022-2023 |date=2022 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Austin, Texas |isbn=978-1-62511066-4 |page=21}}</ref>

Using [[Atomic gardening|radiation to trigger mutations]], new varieties were developed to retain the red tones that typically faded to pink.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broad |first=William J. |title=Useful Mutants, Bred With Radiation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28crop.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=28 August 2007 |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201131515/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28crop.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin |url-status=live }}</ref> The 'Rio Red' variety is a 1984 registered Texas grapefruit with registered trademarks ''Rio Star'' and ''Ruby-Sweet'', also sometimes promoted as ''Reddest'' and ''Texas Choice''. The 'Rio Red' is a [[mutation breeding|mutation-bred]] variety that was developed by treatment of bud sticks with [[thermal neutrons]]. Its improved attributes of mutant variety are fruit and juice color, deeper red, and wide adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mvgs.iaea.org/Search.aspx?ID=282 |title=MVD |website=mvgs.iaea.org |access-date=2017-03-30 |archive-date=2014-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319233559/http://mvgs.iaea.org/Search.aspx?ID=282 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 'Star Ruby' is the darkest of the red varieties.<ref name=morton/> Developed from an irradiated 'Hudson' grapefruit ('Hudson' being a limb sport of 'Foster', itself a limb sport of the 'Walters'),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ahloowalia |first1=B.S. |last2=Maluszynski |first2=M. |last3=Nichterlein |first3=K. |date=2004 |title=Global impact of mutation-derived varieties |journal=Euphytica |volume=135 |issue=2 |pages=187–204 |doi=10.1023/B:EUPH.0000014914.85465.4f |s2cid=34494057 }}</ref> it has found limited commercial success because it is more difficult to grow than other varieties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/grapefruit.htm |title=Home fruit Production-Grapefruit |last=Sauls |first=Julian W. |year=1998 |access-date=2013-07-22 |archive-date=2013-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730035626/http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/grapefruit.htm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/starruby.html |title=Star Ruby grapefruit |website=Citrus Variety Collection |access-date=2013-07-22 |archive-date=2013-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619074412/http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/starruby.html |url-status=live}}</ref>