Bizzaria

taxobox
name = Bizzaria


image_caption = The Florentine Bizzaria
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Sapindales
familia = Rutaceae
genus = "Citrus"
species = "C. medica & C. aurantium"|

The Bizzaria of Florence, which is probably the first plant chimera obtained, is a graft between the florentine citron and sour orange. It produces branches of regular Florentine Citron including such leaves, and from the other side branches of sour orange. The most interesting part of it is the middle shoot, which mixes characteristics of both. The fruit contains characteristics of both citron and orange.

This is not like a regular hybrid which is due to plant sexuality; its offspring is intermediate showing influences of both parents. But, the Florentine Bizzaria, named after its origin, shows an unusual fruit which has both characteristics distinctly expressed in close proximity.

The Bizzaria was discovered by Pietro Nati at the Villa named "Torre degli Agli", which belonged to the wealthy "Panciatichi" banking family. The Bizzaria was thought to be lost when it was rediscovered in year 1970's by Paulo Galleoti, the head gardener of the Villa di Castello and of [http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/citrusplaces/medici.html The Boboli Gardens in Florence] .

The plant's name has a number of different spellings, e.g. Bizaria [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=BP5pAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA236&dq=bizaria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=y3QfSMWwEJW2ygTC4ZCQCg Traite des Plantes]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=pqoeRug6N_0C&pg=PA280&dq=bizaria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=y3QfSMWwEJW2ygTC4ZCQCg Histoire naturelle des végétaux] ] , Bizzarria [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=WDriWqbMDo8C&pg=PA98&dq=bizarre+florence+citron&lr=&ei=rXIfSOi4KIuuzgTioaXXBg&sig=pW0wdHfxqEwJgeOPQP8v_soo5BA Around the David] ] , Bizarria [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=tsNBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA354&dq=Bizarria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=kHUfSPjgD6SMygTm3ZHTBg The Cultivated Orange]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=rXuj5R0pW_QC&pg=PA42&dq=Bizarria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=kHUfSPjgD6SMygTm3ZHTBg&sig=-pS4Z7BP9jmdMWTcdt_oQhiAFt4 Mutation Breeding]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=nSERAAAAIAAJ&q=Bizarria+florence+citron&dq=Bizarria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=kHUfSPjgD6SMygTm3ZHTBg&pgis=1 The Journal of Heredity]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=z6E0AAAAMAAJ&q=Bizarria+florence+citron&dq=Bizarria+florence+citron&lr=&ei=kHUfSPjgD6SMygTm3ZHTBg&pgis=1 The Beginning of Plant Hybridization] ] , and even Bizarre [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Ue6uwiulaAoC&pg=PA60&dq=bizarre+florence+citron&lr=&ei=rXIfSOi4KIuuzgTioaXXBg&sig=aFxbW9II3DT9gCjDwV6DQsvoD_4 Gardens of Florence]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=WDriWqbMDo8C&pg=PA98&dq=bizarre+florence+citron&lr=&ei=rXIfSOi4KIuuzgTioaXXBg&sig=pW0wdHfxqEwJgeOPQP8v_soo5BA Around the David] ] .

References

* [http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/citrusvarieties/bizzarria.html The Bizzaria Story] Wikicommons|Villa Reale di Castello (Firenze)
* [http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/18/12/527 Hereditary Journal]
* [http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol2/Chapter2_5.htm The Citrus Indusrty]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=mYwNAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA417&dq=florence+citron&lr=&ei=iW4fSJP6JJC2ygSLkojXBg Charles Darwin about the Bizzaria]