ABSTRACT
Citrus is the collective generic term comprising a number of species and varieties of fruits, known the world over for their characteristic flavor and attractive range of colors. The orient or the places of origin for most citrus 4fruits are believed to be the southern slope of the Himalayan region, the entire North Eastern Region (NER) of India, and adjacent China. The citrus orient has rich diversity. The northeast India is the richest center of diversity for citrus and includes many types of citrons, lemons and mandarins, Citrus indica, papeda, pummelos, and their hybrids. Sour orange, rough lemon, and C. megaloxycarpa have been found to grow widely in semi-wild conditions in NERs of India. The region can boast of producing certain quality of citrus, viz., “Khasi Mandarin” or “Assam Sumthira,” “Assam Lemon,” “Gol Nemu” (a rough lemon), “Bira Jara” (a citron), a number of pink- and white-fleshed pummelos, etc. (Bhattacharyya and Baruah, 1998).
