History

Discovered

Historical accounts place Ray Ruby’s discovery in Texas in 1970 and attribute it to Robert Ray. Rouse, Wutscher, and Youtsey report four atypical replacement trees in a Redblush orchard north of Mission and say the nursery source and mother tree were unrecorded. Citrus ID reproduces Chiefland’s 2010 clone DPI-103 note identifying Robert Ray and a Weslaco Ruby Red grove. These are differing attributed accounts; this event does not assert a direct mother-tree or nursery lineage.

• Colonel Robert RayDiscoverer

  Citrus ID reproduces Chiefland Budwood Facility (2010) notes crediting Robert Ray with the 1970 discovery in a Weslaco Ruby Red grove.

Sources: ⁠[2]⁠[4]⁠[8]

Released

Rouse, Wutscher, and Youtsey report that Ray Ruby was tested and released in 1977 by Texas A&I University Citrus Center in Weslaco, citing Hensz (1978); the 2004 origins review also reports 1977. Citrus ID reproduces Chiefland’s 2010 clone DPI-103 note giving 1986. The Florida Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration’s 2014 report records 6/13/86 in a Release Date field defined to include a release, first budwood cut, or material sent to Chiefland; it also records 60,000 Ray Ruby bud eyes distributed in 1986–87. These sources describe the Texas A&I release and a later Florida budwood-program milestone; the 2014 report does not specify which field definition applies to the 6/13/86 entry.

• Texas A&I University Citrus CenterReleasing Organization

  Tested and released Ray Ruby grapefruit in 1977.

Sources: ⁠[2]⁠[4]⁠[8]⁠[9]

Other

Ray Ruby was received by the Riverside citrus collection in 1985 as budwood from Julian W. Sauls of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service at Weslaco. The accession became CRC 3915 / PI 539484 / VI 466.

• Julian W. SaulsOther

  Provided Ray Ruby budwood to the Riverside collection in 1985.

• UC Riverside Citrus Experiment StationCollector

  Received and maintained Ray Ruby as CRC 3915.

Sources: ⁠[1]

Imported

Citrus Australia reports that Ray Ruby material was imported from California into Australia and released from plant quarantine in 1992. This is the Australian quarantine-release milestone.

Sources: ⁠[5]