Tracking down the parents of sweet orange

Valencia, Spain – Detailing the ancestry of sweet orange has been a long-sought prize for citrus scientists. On Friday, the leader of a group that has been analyzing the genetic makeup of citrus said in a scientific talk that the ponkan -- a large, loose-skinned type of mandarin widely cultivated in Asia and Brazil -- was the likely father of the sweet orange.

By David Karp

November 23, 2012