World of CitrusSpontaneous mutation of Poncirus Trifoliata
Other names: CRC 3330A, Flying Dragon Trifoliate Orange, Hiryo, Hiryu, Monstrosa, PI 539768, Poncirus trifoliata var. monstrosa, VI 383
Flying Dragon is a dwarfed, deciduous form of trifoliate orange distinguished by crooked or twisted branches, recurved thorns and small trifoliate leaves. It was cultivated in Japan as an ornamental and introduced to the United States by Walter T. Swingle in 1915.[1][6]
Its fruit turns yellow and is described by Oregon State as 3.5–5 cm across and very sour. Video accounts describe seedy fruit with little flesh; one Hungarian tasting describes lemon/lime-like sourness with mild grapefruit-like bitterness. These accounts describe particular fruit and growing conditions.[6][10][12]
Flying Dragon is used as a dwarfing citrus rootstock. Cheng and Roose’s 1995 study of Cutter Valencia grafted on Flying Dragon seedlings reported dwarf and nondwarf grafted trees and interpreted the inheritance and marker results as consistent with a mutation origin. The exact original mutation remains undocumented. Oregon State lists USDA Zone 5; grower accounts include winter survival and recovery after spring freeze damage, without a verified minimum temperature in the supplied videos.[7][6][8][11]