Eden Illustrated
Words: Julie Kendall, Debs Ryan and Rosie Henstridge
Illustrations: Diggy Smerdon Buddha’s hand | Citrus medica var. digitata
At the centre of the Mediterranean Biome stands the Citrus Grove with its collection of species and cultivated (or cultivar) citrus trees. Most of the citrus fruits we buy in our supermarkets are from cultivated varieties which have been bred from just a few wild species, the citron, the pomelo and the mandarin. The citron (C. medica), a popular sight in the Biome with its very large lemon-like fruit, is the parent of the modern-day lemon. Further along the grove’s middle terrace stands the Buddha’s hand or fingered citron, Citrus medica var. digitata, known as the bushukan in Japan. Native to China and Japan, these small
evergreens are typically no more than 2–2.5 metres tall with irregular branches which carry leathery leaves and beautiful clusters of fragrant white flowers tinged with purple. There are two forms, one where the whole fruit is fingered, the other (like ours) where only part of the fruit is fingered. Being closely related to the citron, the fruits are similarly large, often weighing down, and sometimes breaking, the stems which bear them. The fragrant peel and zest are used in cooking, as the fruits contain very little juicy flesh. Buddha’s hand fruits are also used medicinally as
a tonic and in making perfume, room fresheners and insect repellent. The fingered fruit’s resemblance to a praying hand leads Buddhist pilgrims to offer closed, unripe fruits as an offering at temples, and in China the fruits are given at New Year as a symbol of long life and happiness. RH
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