ABSTRACT
In the early 19th century, grapefruit was introduced into Florida by Count Odette Philippe, originally in the Indian River region, and later around the west coast of Florida. The grapefruit varieties grown commercially fall into two distinct categories: seedy and seedless. The Marsh variety originated as a chance seedling around 1860 on a farm near Lakeland, Florida. In contrast with the oranges, the color development is only minimally influenced by the variation of day and night temperatures, particularly with the white varieties. Commercially grown pink varieties of grapefruit, the Thompson and the Foster originated as chance mutations of the Marsh seedless and the Walters respectively. The red fleshed varieties are the primary grapefruit planted in Texas and Arizona, and to a lesser extent in California and Florida. The environmental effects on the fruit size and quality characteristics are considerably more pronounced than can be observed in oranges.
