View source for Grapefruit

{{Short description |Citrus fruit}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{hatnote group |
{{About |the fruit}}
{{Distinguish |Grape}}
}}
{{Speciesbox
|name      = Grapefruit
|image     = Grapefruits - whole-halved-segments.jpg
|genus     = Citrus
|species   = × paradisi
|authority = Macfad.
}}

The '''grapefruit''' ('''''Citrus'' × ''paradisi''''') is a subtropical [[citrus]] tree known for its relatively large, [[Taste#Sourness|sour]] to semi-[[Taste#Sweetness|sweet]], somewhat [[Taste#Bitterness|bitter]] fruit.<ref name="morton">{{cite book |last=Morton |first=Julia Frances |title=Grapefruit, ''Citrus paradisi'', In: Fruits of Warm Climates |pages=152–158 |publisher=NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, [[Purdue University]] |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-9610184-1-2 |oclc=16947184 |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/grapefruit.html |access-date=28 March 2003 |archive-date=6 October 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001006072046/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/grapefruit.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The flesh of the fruit is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark red.

Grapefruits originated in [[Barbados]] in the 18th century. They are a citrus [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] that was created through an accidental cross between the [[Citrus × sinensis|sweet orange]] (''C.'' × ''sinensis'') and the [[pomelo]] (''C. maxima''), both of which were introduced to the Caribbean from Asia in the 17th century.<ref name="Carrington & Fraser">{{cite book |last1=Carrington |first1=Sean |last2=Fraser |first2=Henry C. |title=A~Z of Barbados Heritage |year=2003 |publisher=Macmillan Caribbean |isbn=978-0-333-92068-8 |pages=90–91 |chapter=Grapefruit |quote=One of many citrus species grown in Barbados. This fruit is believed to have originated in Barbados as a natural cross between sweet orange (''C. sinesis'') and pomelo (''C. grandis''), both of which originated in Asia and were introduced by Europeans in the 17th century. The grapefruit first appeared as an illustration entitled 'The Forbidden Fruit Tree' in ''The Natural History of Barbados'' (1750) by Rev. Griffith Hughes. This accords with the scientific name, which literally is 'citrus of paradise'. The fruit seems to have been fairly commonly available around that time, since [[George Washington]] in his Barbados Journal (1750–1751) mentions 'the Forbidden Fruit' as one of the local fruit available at a dinner party he attended. The plant was later described in the 1837 ''Flora of Jamaica'' as the Barbados Grapefruit. The historical arguments and experimental work on leaf enzymes and oils from possible parents all support a Barbadian origin for the fruit.}}</ref> It has also been called the '[[forbidden fruit]]'.<ref name=morton/> In the past it was called the ''pomelo'',<ref>The [[American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]] (1973) defines "pomelo" simply as "The grapefruit".</ref> but that term is now mostly used as the common name for ''Citrus maxima''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Li |first=Xiaomeng |author2=Xie, R. |author3=Lu, Z. |author4=Zhou, Z. |title=The Origin of Cultivated Citrus as Inferred from Internal Transcribed Spacer and Chloroplast DNA Sequence and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Fingerprints |journal=Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science |date=July 2010 |volume=135 |issue=4 |page=341 |doi=10.21273/JASHS.135.4.341 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[Grapefruit–drug interactions]] are common, as the juice contains [[furanocoumarin]]s that interfere with the metabolism of many drugs. This can prolong and intensify the effects of those drugs, leading to multiple side-effects such as abnormal heart rhythms, bleeding inside the stomach, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.

== Description ==

[[File:Grapefruit.ebola.jpeg|thumb|Grapefruit growing in the grape-like clusters from which their name may derive]]

The evergreen grapefruit trees usually grow to around {{convert|4.5|–|6|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, although they may reach {{convert|13.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=morton/> The leaves are up to {{convert|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, thin, glossy, and dark green. They produce {{convert|5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} white flowers with four or five petals. The fruit is yellow-orange skinned and generally an [[oblate spheroid]] in shape; it ranges in diameter from {{convert|10|to|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}. Its flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in color depending on the [[cultivar]]s, which include white, pink, and red pulps of varying sweetness (generally, the redder varieties are the sweetest).<ref name=morton/>

=== Varieties ===

{{Redirect |Star Ruby |star stone |Asterism (gemology)}}

[[File:Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit, pink) white bg.jpg|thumb|left|"Red" grapefruit]]

White grapefruit varieties include Camulos, Cecily, Duncan, Frost Marsh, Genetic Dwarf Marsh, Hall, Jochimsen, Marsh seedy, Nicholson navel, Perlis, Reed Marsh, Tetraploid, Warren Marsh, and Whitney Marsh.<ref>{{cite web |title=White grapefruits |url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus-varieties/category-or-type/grapefruit/white |publisher=University of California Riverside |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref> 

Red or pink grapefruit varieties include Flame, Foster Pink, Henderson Ruby, Hudson Foster, Marsh Pink, Ray Ruby, Redblush, Rio Red, Shambar, and Star Ruby.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red/Pink grapefruits |url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus-varieties/category-or-type/grapefruit/red-pink |publisher=University of California Riverside |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref>

{{anchor |Ruby Red}}The 1929 'Ruby Red' (or 'Redblush') patent was associated with real commercial success, which came after the discovery of a red grapefruit growing on a pink variety.<ref name=morton/> The [[Texas Legislature]] designated this variety the official "State Fruit of Texas" in 1993.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Hatch |editor-first=Rosie |title=Texas Almanac 2022-2023 |date=2022 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Austin, Texas |isbn=978-1-62511066-4 |page=21}}</ref>

Using [[Atomic gardening|radiation to trigger mutations]], new varieties were developed to retain the red tones that typically faded to pink.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broad |first=William J. |title=Useful Mutants, Bred With Radiation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28crop.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=28 August 2007 |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201131515/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28crop.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin |url-status=live }}</ref> The 'Rio Red' variety is a 1984 registered Texas grapefruit with registered trademarks ''Rio Star'' and ''Ruby-Sweet'', also sometimes promoted as ''Reddest'' and ''Texas Choice''. The 'Rio Red' is a [[mutation breeding|mutation-bred]] variety that was developed by treatment of bud sticks with [[thermal neutrons]]. Its improved attributes of mutant variety are fruit and juice color, deeper red, and wide adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mvgs.iaea.org/Search.aspx?ID=282 |title=MVD |website=mvgs.iaea.org |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=19 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319233559/http://mvgs.iaea.org/Search.aspx?ID=282 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 'Star Ruby' is the darkest of the red varieties.<ref name=morton/> Developed from an irradiated 'Hudson' grapefruit ('Hudson' being a limb sport of 'Foster', itself a limb sport of the 'Walters'),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ahloowalia |first1=B.S. |last2=Maluszynski |first2=M. |last3=Nichterlein |first3=K. |date=2004 |title=Global impact of mutation-derived varieties |journal=Euphytica |volume=135 |issue=2 |pages=187–204 |doi=10.1023/B:EUPH.0000014914.85465.4f |bibcode=2004Euphy.135..187A |s2cid=34494057 }}</ref> it has found limited commercial success because it is more difficult to grow than other varieties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/grapefruit.htm |title=Home fruit Production-Grapefruit |last=Sauls |first=Julian W. |year=1998 |access-date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=30 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730035626/http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/grapefruit.htm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/starruby.html |title=Star Ruby grapefruit |website=Citrus Variety Collection |access-date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=19 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619074412/http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/starruby.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

== As food ==

=== Nutrition ===

{{Nutritional value
 |name=Grapefruit, raw, white, all areas
 |kJ=138
 |protein=0.8 g
 |fat=0.10 g
 |water=90.48 g
 |carbs=8.41 g
 |fiber=1.1 g
 |sugars=7.31 g
 |glucose=
 |fructose=
 |iron_mg=0.06
 |manganese_mg=0.013
 |calcium_mg=12
 |magnesium_mg=9
 |phosphorus_mg=8
 |potassium_mg=148
 |zinc_mg=0.07
 |vitC_mg=33.3
 |pantothenic_mg=0.283
 |vitB6_mg=0.043
 |folate_ug=10
 |choline_mg=7.7
 |thiamin_mg=0.037
 |riboflavin_mg=0.020
 |niacin_mg=0.269
 |vitE_mg=0.13
 |source_usda=1
 |note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1102591/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

Raw white grapefruit is 90% water, 8% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of {{convert |100 |g |oz |abbr=off |frac=2}}, raw grapefruit provides {{convert |138 |kJ |kcal |abbr=off}} of [[food energy]] and is a rich source of [[vitamin C]] (37% of the [[Daily Value]]), with no other [[micronutrient]]s in significant amounts (table).

=== Culinary ===

Like other citrus fruits, grapefruits are sour because of their [[citric acid]] content; grapefruit juice contains about half the citric acid content of lemon juice, and nearly 50% more than orange juice.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Penniston |first1=Kristina L. |last2=Nakada |first2=Stephen Y. |last3=Holmes |first3=Ross P. |last4=Assimos |first4=Dean G. |title=Quantitative Assessment of Citric Acid in Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, and Commercially-Available Fruit Juice Products |journal=Journal of Endourology |volume=22 |issue=3 |year=2008 |doi=10.1089/end.2007.0304 |doi-access=free |pages=567–570|pmid=18290732 |pmc=2637791 }}</ref> In Costa Rica, especially in [[Atenas]], grapefruit are often cooked with sugar to balance their sourness, rendering them as [[Confectioner|sweets]]; or they are stuffed with ''[[dulce de leche]]'' as a [[dessert]].<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Ben |editor-last=Box |others=Sarah Cameron, Sebastian Ballard |title=1994 Mexico & Central America Handbook |edition=4th |year=1993 |publisher=Trade and Travel Publications |isbn=978-0-900751-46-2 |page=682 |chapter=Costa Rica - The Meseta Central}}</ref> In Haiti, grapefruit is used primarily for its juice ({{langx|fr|jus de Chadèque}}), but also is used to make jam ({{langx|fr|confiture de Chadèque}}).<ref>{{cite thesis |url=http://www.memoireonline.com/03/09/2031/Standardisation-dune-formulation-de-confiture-de-chadeque-et-evaluation-des-parametres-physico-chim.html |title=Standardisation d'une formulation de confiture de chadèque et évaluation des paramètres physico-chimiques, microbiologiques et sensoriels |language=fr |trans-title=Standardization of a chadek<!--Haitian creole name--> jam formulation and evaluation of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory parameters |last=Monrose |first=Gregory Salomon |publisher=Université d'Etat d'Haiti |degree=diplôme d'Ingénieur Agronome |year=2006 |via=Memoire Online |access-date=5 June 2017 |archive-date=7 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607105620/http://www.memoireonline.com/03/09/2031/Standardisation-dune-formulation-de-confiture-de-chadeque-et-evaluation-des-parametres-physico-chim.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Bidault |editor-first=Blandine |editor-last2=Gattegno |editor-first2=Isabelle |page=46 |year=1984 |title=Le point sur la transformation des fruits tropicaux |language=fr |trans-title=Update on the processing of tropical fruits |publisher=Groupe de recherche et d'echanges technologiques (GRET) |location=Paris}}</ref>

Grapefruit varieties are differentiated by the flesh color of fruit they produce. Common varieties are yellow and pink pulp colors. Flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat sour to sweet and tart, resulting from composition of sugars (mainly [[sucrose]]), organic acids (mainly citric acid), and [[monoterpene]]s and [[sesquiterpene]]s providing aromas.<ref name="Zheng">{{cite journal |last1=Zheng |first1=Huiwen |last2=Zhang |first2=Qiuyun |last3=Quan |first3=Junping |last4=Zheng |first4=Qiao |last5=Xi |first5=Wanpeng |title=Determination of sugars, organic acids, aroma components, and carotenoids in grapefruit pulps |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=205 |year=2016 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.007 |pages=112–121 |pmid=27006221 |s2cid=41172984 }}</ref> [[Grapefruit mercaptan]], a [[sulfur]]-containing [[terpene]], is one of the [[aroma compound]]s influencing the taste and odor of grapefruit, compared with other citrus fruits.<ref name="Andrea_Buettner_and_Peter_Schieberle">{{cite journal |title= Characterization of the Most Odor-Active Volatiles in Fresh, Hand-Squeezed Juice of Grapefruit (''Citrus paradisi Macfayden'') |last1=Buettner |first1=A. |last2=Schieberle |first2=P. |journal=J. Agric. Food Chem. |year=1999 |volume= 47 |pages=5189–5193 |doi=10.1021/jf990071l |pmid=10606593 |issue= 12|bibcode=1999JAFC...47.5189B }}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=150>
File:Caramelized Grapefruit at Palace Diner in Biddeford ME.jpg |Caramelized grapefruit
File:Roasted Grapefruit Chicken.jpg|Roasted grapefruit chicken
File:Laksetatar med spinat og rød grape (4357301784).jpg|Salmon tartar with spinach and red grapefruit
File:Greyhound Cocktail.jpg|[[Greyhound (cocktail)|Greyhound cocktail]], with gin and juice
</gallery>

== Drug interactions ==

{{main|Grapefruit–drug interactions}}

[[File:Bergamottin-3D-balls.png|thumb |Grapefruit juice contains [[bergamottin]], one of the [[furanocoumarin]]s which inhibit the metabolism of many drugs, causing multiple side-effects.<ref name="BaileyDresser2012"/> ]]

Grapefruit and [[grapefruit juice]] [[drug interaction|interact]] with many drugs, resulting in numerous [[adverse effect]]s including [[bone marrow suppression]]<!--myelotoxicity-->, [[nephrotoxicity]], [[Arrhythmia|abnormal heart rhythm]]<!--torsade de pointes-->, [[rhabdomyolysis]], [[hypotension]], [[gastrointestinal bleeding]], [[dizziness]], and [[Hypoventilation|respiratory depression]], according to the drug involved.<ref name="BaileyDresser2012"/>

One interaction occurs from grapefruit [[furanocoumarin]]s, such as [[bergamottin]] and [[6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin]], which occur in both flesh and peel. Furanocoumarins inhibit the [[CYP3A4]] [[enzyme]] (among others from the [[cytochrome P450]] enzyme family responsible for metabolizing 90% of drugs).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kakar |first1=S.M. |last2=Paine |first2=M.F. |last3=Stewart |first3=P.W. |last4=Watkins |first4=P.B. |title=6',7'-Dihydroxybergamottin contributes to the grapefruit juice effect |journal=Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics |pmid=15179411 |year=2004 |volume=75 |issue=6 |pages=569–579 |doi=10.1016/j.clpt.2004.02.007 |hdl=2027.42/109773 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The action of the CYP3A4 enzyme itself is to metabolize many medications.<ref name="refseq">{{NCBI RefSeq |title=CYP3A4 cytochrome P450 family 3 subfamily A member 4 [Homo sapiens (human)] |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1576}}</ref> If a drug's breakdown for removal is lessened, then the level of that drug in the blood may become and remain high, leading to adverse effects.<ref name="BaileyDresser2012"/> On the other hand, some drugs must be metabolized to become active, and inhibiting CYP3A4 may lead to reduced drug effects.<ref name="BaileyDresser2012"/>

Another effect is that grapefruit compounds may inhibit the absorption of drugs in the intestine. If a drug is not absorbed, then not enough of it is in the blood to have a therapeutic effect. Each affected drug has either a specific increase of effect or decrease.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 September 2022 |title=How the "Don't take this medication with grapefruit juice" warning originated {{!}} Science-Based Medicine |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/how-the-dont-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-warning-originated/ |access-date=4 November 2022 |website=sciencebasedmedicine.org |archive-date=4 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104121805/https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/how-the-dont-take-this-medication-with-grapefruit-juice-warning-originated/ |url-status=live }}</ref><!--independent source, non-profit, sceptical attitude, shd be fine for this modest (non-MEDRS) claim-->

One whole grapefruit or a glass of {{convert |200 |ml |usoz |sigfig=1 |abbr=on}} of grapefruit juice is enough to cause drug overdose toxicity.<ref name="BaileyDresser2012">{{cite journal |last1=Bailey |first1=D. G. |last2=Dresser |first2=G. |last3=Arnold |first3=J. M. O. |title=Grapefruit-medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences? |journal=Canadian Medical Association Journal |volume=185 |issue=4 |year=2012 |pages=309–316 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.120951 |pmid=23184849 |pmc=3589309}}</ref> Typically, drugs that are incompatible with grapefruit are marked as such on the container or [[Medication package insert|package insert]].<ref name="BaileyDresser2012"/>
{{clear}}

== Production ==
{{Table alignment}}

{| class="wikitable floatright col2right" 

|+ Grapefruit production <br />{{small|2023, millions of tonnes}}
|-
|{{CHN}} ||5.20
|-
|{{VIE}} ||1.20
|-
|{{MEX}} ||0.49
|-
|{{SAF}} ||0.41
|-
|{{USA}} ||0.30
|-
|'''World''' ||9.93
|-
|colspan=2|{{small|Source: [[FAOSTAT]]<br> of the [[United Nations]]}}<ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL|title=Grapefruit production in 2023, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2025|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref>
|}

In 2023, world production of grapefruits (combined with [[pomelo]]s) was 9.93 million [[tonne]]s, led by China with 52% of the total and [[Vietnam]] as a secondary producer (table).

=== Pests and diseases ===

Grapefruits are hosts for fruit flies (family [[Tephritidae]]) such as ''[[Anastrepha suspensa|A. suspensa]]'', which lay their eggs in overripe or spoiled grapefruits, sometimes causing serious damage in plantations in the Americas.<ref>{{cite journal |last=van Whervin |first=L. Walter |date=March 1974 |title=Some Fruitflies (Tephritidae) in Jamaica |journal=Pest Articles & News Summaries |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=11–19 |doi=10.1080/09670877409412331 }}</ref> In sub-Saharan Africa, the Citrus swallowtail, ''[[Papilio demodocus]]'', is a minor pest of ''Citrus'' plantations.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Papilio demodocus (citrus swallowtail) |date=2022 |publisher=CABI |doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.38757 |last1=Areces-Berazain |first1=Fabiola |journal=CABI Compendium |volume=CABI Compendium |article-number=38757 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Grapefruits are subject to several diseases of ''Citrus'' trees, including [[citrus tristeza virus]], [[citrus canker]] (caused by a bacterium, ''[[Xanthomonas]]''), and the [[Disease vector|vector]]-transmitted [[citrus greening disease]]<!--aka HLB-->, where the vector is a [[psyllid]] bug, and the pathogen is a bacterium, ''[[Liberibacter]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Louzada |first1=Eliezer S. |last2=Ramadugu |first2=Chandrika |title=Grapefruit: history, use, and breeding |journal=Horttechnology |volume=31 |issue=3 |year=2021 |pages=243–258 |doi=10.21273/HORTTECH04679-20 |url=https://journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/journals/horttech/31/3/article-p243.pdf}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=160>
File:Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa.jpg|The fruit fly ''[[Anastrepha suspensa]]'', a serious pest in the New World
File:Citrus swallowtail caterpillar.jpg|Citrus swallowtail, ''[[Papilio demodocus]]'' caterpillar, Africa
</gallery>

== History ==

{{further|Citrus taxonomy}}

[[File:Hybrid origins of orange.svg|thumb |center |upright=2 |The grapefruit, like many cultivated ''[[Citrus]]'' species, is a hybrid, in its case of the [[sweet orange]] and [[pomelo]].<ref name="Wu Terol Ibanez 2018"/>]]

Grapefruit originated as a natural hybrid.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Xiaomeng Li |author2=Rangjin Xie |author3=Zhenhua Lu |author4=Zhiqin Zhou |title=Genetic origin of cultivated citrus determined: Researchers find evidence of origins of orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, other citrus species |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118101600.htm |website=Science Daily |access-date=21 September 2017 |archive-date=21 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921192729/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118101600.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> One ancestor of the grapefruit was the Jamaican sweet orange (''[[Citrus sinensis]]''), itself an ancient hybrid of Asian origin; the other was the Indonesian [[pomelo]] (''C. maxima'').<ref name=morton/> The pomelo was the female ancestor; the sweet orange, itself a hybrid, was the male.<ref name="Wu Terol Ibanez 2018">{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Guohong Albert |last2=Terol |first2=Javier |last3=Ibanez |first3=Victoria |last4=López-García |first4=Antonio |last5=Pérez-Román |first5=Estela |last6=Borredá |first6=Carles |last7=Domingo |first7=Concha |last8=Tadeo |first8=Francisco R. |last9=Carbonell-Caballero |first9=Jose |last10=Alonso |first10=Roberto |last11=Curk |first11=Franck |last12=Du |first12=Dongliang |last13=Ollitrault |first13=Patrick |last14=Roose |first14=Mikeal L. Roose |last15=Dopazo |first15=Joaquin |last16=Gmitter Jr |first16=Frederick G. |last17=Rokhsar |first17=Daniel |last18=Talon |first18=Manuel |display-authors=5 |title=Genomics of the origin and evolution of ''Citrus'' |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |year=2018 |volume=554 |issue=7692 |pages=311–316 |doi=10.1038/nature25447 |pmid=29414943 |bibcode=2018Natur.554..311W |doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11939/5741 |hdl-access=free}} and Supplement</ref> Both ''C. sinensis'' and ''C. maxima'' were present in the West Indies by 1692. One story of the fruit's origin is that a 17th-century trader named 'Captain Shaddock'<ref name=morton/><ref name="Kumamoto Scora Lawton 1987">{{cite journal |last1=Kumamoto |first1=J. |last2=Scora |first2=R. W. |last3=Lawton |first3=H. W. |last4=Clerx |first4=W. A. |date=1 January 1987 |title=Mystery of the forbidden fruit: Historical epilogue on the origin of the grapefruit, Citrus paradisi (Rutaceae) |journal=Economic Botany |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=97–107 |doi=10.1007/BF02859356 |bibcode=1987EcBot..41...97K |s2cid=42178548}}</ref> brought pomelo seeds to Jamaica and bred the first fruit, which were then called ''shaddocks''.<ref name="culinaire">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080502135258/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JAW/is_87/ai_n25336559 Grapefruit: a fruit with a bit of a complex] in ''Art Culinaire'' (Winter, 2007)</ref> The grapefruit then probably originated as a naturally occurring hybrid between the two plants some time after they had been introduced there.<ref name=morton/><ref name="Carrington & Fraser"/>

[[File:Kimball C. Atwood.jpg|thumb|upright |left |Kimball Chase Atwood founded the Atwood Grapefruit Company in the late 19th century. It became the largest grapefruit grove in the world.<ref name="Herald Tribune 2004"/>]]

A hybrid fruit, called ''forbidden fruit'', was first documented in 1750 (along with 14 other citrus fruits including the guiney orange) by a Welshman, the Rev. Griffith Hughes, in his ''The Natural History of Barbados''.<ref name=morton/> However, Hughes's forbidden fruit may have been [[Forbidden fruit (citrus)|a plant distinct from grapefruit]] although still closely related to it.<ref name="Bowman Gmitter 1990">{{cite journal |last1=Bowman |first1=Kim D. |last2=Gmitter |first2=Frederick Jr. |date=April 1990 |title=Forbidden Fruit (Citrus sp., Rutaceae) Rediscovered in Saint Lucia |journal=Economic Botany |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=165–173 |doi=10.1007/BF02860484 |jstor=4255226 |bibcode=1990EcBot..44..165B |s2cid=33098910 }}</ref>

In 1814, the British naturalist and plantation owner [[John Lunan]] published the term ''grapefruit'' to describe a similar Jamaican citrus plant.<ref name=culinaire/> Lunan reported that the name was due to its similarity in taste to the grape (''[[Vitis vinifera]]'').<ref>{{cite book |last=Lunan |first=John |author-link=John Lunan |title=Hortus Jamaicensis |date=1814 |publisher=St. Iago de la Vega Gazette |location=Jamaica |pages=171–173 |url=https://idtools.org/id/citrus/citrusid/factsheet.php?name=Grapefruits+%28Non-pigmented%29 |access-date=24 December 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727134410/http://idtools.org/id/citrus/citrusid/factsheet.php?name=Grapefruits+(Non-pigmented) |url-status=live }}</ref> An alternative explanation is that this name may allude to clusters of the fruit on the tree, which often appear similar to bunches of grapes.<ref name="State of California 1895"/><ref name="loc.gov">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/agriculture/item/how-did-grapefruit-get-its-name-it-doesnt-look-like-a-grape/ |title=How did the grapefruit get its name? |website=[[Library of Congress]] |at=Everyday Mysteries |access-date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=27 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127005023/https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/agriculture/item/how-did-grapefruit-get-its-name-it-doesnt-look-like-a-grape/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1830, the Jamaican version of the plant was given the botanical name ''Citrus paradisi'' by the Scottish physician and botanist [[James Macfadyen]]. Macfadyen identified two varieties – one called ''forbidden fruit'', the other ''Barbadoes Grape Fruit''. Macfadyen distinguished between the two plants by fruit shape with the Barbados grapefruit being piriform ([[pear]] shaped) while the forbidden fruit was "maliformis".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Macfadyen |first=James |author-link=James Macfadyen |year=1830 |title=Some remarks on the species of genus ''Citrus'' which are cultivated in Jamaica. |journal=Botanical Miscellanea |issue=1 |pages=295–304}}</ref> Macfadyen's and Hughes's descriptions differ, so it is not clear that the two reports are describing the same plant. It has been suggested that Hughes's golden orange may actually have been a grapefruit, while his forbidden fruit was a different variety that may since have been lost.<ref name="Kumamoto Scora Lawton 1987"/> A citrus called ''forbidden fruit'' or ''shaddette'' has been discovered in [[Saint Lucia]]; it may be the plant described by Hughes and Macfadyen.<ref name="Bowman Gmitter 1990"/>

The name ''grape-fruit'' was used during the 19th century to refer to pomelos.<ref name="State of California 1895">{{cite book |title=Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly of the twenty-first Session of the Legislature of the State of California |publisher=Legislature of the State of California |volume=V |chapter=Report of the Secretary–the pomelo |location=Sacramento, California |year=1895 |page=65 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SNIAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA65 |quote=The pomelo is now marketed under the name 'grape-fruit', which is a misnomer. This is confusing and misleading. The name 'grape-fruit' was given to this fruit in Florida, as it hangs on trees in clusters resembling the grape, but has no relation to it whatever. Growers and shippers should drop the name 'grape-fruit' and apply to it the name ''pomelo'', which is popular, and botanically correct. |author=California |access-date=7 October 2020 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713194320/https://books.google.com/books?id=7SNIAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA65 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was brought to Florida by the French businessman Count [[Odet Philippe]] in 1823, in what is now known as [[Safety Harbor]].<ref name=morton/> Further crosses have produced the [[tangelo]] (1905), the [[Minneola tangelo]] (1931), and the [[oroblanco]] (1984). Its true origins were not determined until the 1940s, at which point its official name was altered to ''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'', the '''×''' identifying it as a hybrid.<ref name="University_of_Florida">University of Florida: IFAS Extension; The Grapefruit. {{cite web |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/CH/CH06300.pdf |title=Fact Sheet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628190748/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/CH/CH06300.pdf |archive-date=28 June 2007 }}</ref> An early pioneer in the American citrus industry was Kimball C. Atwood<!-- {{Q |109604748}} -->, a wealthy entrepreneur who founded the Atwood Grapefruit Company in the late 19th century. The Atwood Grove became the largest grapefruit grove in the world, with a yearly output of 80,000 boxes of fruit.<ref name="Herald Tribune 2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20040816/NEWS/408160323?tc=ar |title=Manatee County a big part of citrus history |publisher=Herald-Tribune |date=16 August 2004 |access-date=17 December 2011 |archive-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012003951/http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20040816/NEWS/408160323?tc=ar |url-status=live }}</ref> There, pink grapefruit was discovered in 1906.<ref name=morton/>{{Clear}}

== See also ==
* {{Annotated link |Grapefruit knife}}
* {{Annotated link |Grapefruit spoon}}
* {{Annotated link |Naringenin}}
* {{Annotated link |New Zealand grapefruit}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline |Citrus paradisi}}

{{Citrus}}
{{Taxonbar |from=Q41350}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Grapefruit|Grapefruit]]
[[Category:Citrus hybrids]]
[[Category:Citrus]]
[[Category:CYP2A6 inhibitors]]
[[Category:CYP3A4 inhibitors]]
[[Category:Flora of Barbados]]
[[Category:Flora of Jamaica]]
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]