Aurantioideae


Aurantioideae is the subfamily within the rue and citrus family that contains the citrus. The subfamily's center of diversity is in the monsoon region of eastern Australasia, extending west through South Asia into Africa, and eastwards into Polynesia.
Notable members include citrus, bael, curd fruit, species of genus Murraya such as curry tree and orange jessamine, and the small genus Clausena.

Description and systematics

Aurantioideae are smallish trees or large shrubs, or rarely lianas. Their flowers are typically white and fragrant. Their fruit are very characteristic hesperidia, usually of rounded shape and colored in green, yellowish or orange hues.
The subfamily can be divided into two tribes, the ancestral Clauseneae and the more advanced Citreae. Several genera have been recently reassigned from the latter to the former, but the arrangement of subtribes leaves much to be desired. The tribes, with subtribes listed in phylogenetic sequence and genera listed alphabetically, are:

Tribe Citreae
  • Subtribe Triphasiinae
  • * Genus Luvunga Buch.-Ham. ex Wight & Arn.
  • * Genus Merope M.Roem.
  • * Genus Monanthocitrus
  • * Genus Oxanthera
  • * Genus Pamburus Swingle
  • * Genus Paramignya Wight
  • * Genus Triphasia
  • * Genus Wenzelia Merr.
  • Subtribe Balsamocitrinae
  • * Genus Aegle Corrêa - Bael
  • * Genus Aeglopsis Swingle
  • * Genus Afraegle Engl.
  • * Genus Balsamocitrus Stapf
  • * Genus Feroniella Swingle
  • * Genus Limonia L. - Curd Fruit
  • * Genus Swinglea Merr.
  • Subtribe Citrinae
  • * Genus Atalantia Correa
  • * Genus Burkillanthus
  • * Genus Citropsis - cherry oranges
  • * Genus Citrus - citrus fruits
  • * Genus Clymenia Swingle
  • * Genus Fortunella - kumquats
  • * Genus Limnocitrus
  • * Genus Naringi Adans.
  • * Genus Hesperethusa
  • * Genus Poncirus - Trifoliate orange
  • * Genus Pleiospermium
  • * Genus Severinia Ten.
Tribe Clauseneae
  • Subtribe Micromelinae
  • * Genus Micromelum Blume
  • Subtribe Clauseninae
  • * Genus Clausena Burm.f.
  • * Genus Glycosmis
  • * Genus Murraya
  • Subtribe Merrilliinae
  • * Genus Merrillia

Footnotes