World of CitrusSource: USPP26086P3 — Mandarin tree named ‘C4-15-19’ · Checked
Status and expiration are reported by Google Patents, not a legal determination.
C4-15-19 is a triploid mandarin hybrid developed through the University of Florida citrus breeding program. A 2020 chapter identifies C4-15-19 as “Kid’s Favorite” and reports its Florida release. The hybrid was recovered by embryo rescue from a cross between diploid Sugar Belle (LB8-9) as seed parent and an allotetraploid somatic hybrid of Nova mandarin and Succari sweet orange as pollen parent.[1][2]
The patent describes Clementine-sized, gently flattened round fruit with thin rind, abundant juice and very sweet flavor. Seeds are rarely found. Peeling generally starts easily, with the upper half easier to peel than the lower; clipping at harvest helps avoid tearing away rind at the stem. In Lake Alfred, Florida, harvest generally runs from early October to mid-to-late November, depending on season and rootstock.[1]
The patent’s mid-November 2012 sample averaged 14.4 °Brix, with reported acidity of 0.68%. A separate 2019 report summarized three evaluations of C4-15-19, averaging 105.7 g per fruit, 15.7% total soluble solids and 0.77% titratable acidity as citric acid. These source-specific results reflect different samples and growing conditions.[1][4]
UF/IFAS listed C4-15-19 among its mandarin releases in 2013. The U.S. plant patent application was filed on August 7, 2013, and patent PP26,086 was granted on November 17, 2015. The patent describes limited observations of HLB-affected trees maintaining fruit production under optimized nutrition; these observations do not establish disease immunity or a measured cold-hardiness limit.[1][3]