| Bizzarria | |
|---|---|
 TheFlorentine Bizzarria | |
| Genus | Citrus |
| Cultivar | 'Bizzarria' |
Bizzarria ofFlorence (Citrus medica +C. aurantium), which is probably the firstgraft chimera obtained, is a graft between theFlorentine citron andsour orange.
It produces branches of regular Florentine citron including such leaves, and from the other side branches of sour orange. The middle shoot mixes characteristics of both and the fruit exhibits characteristics of both the citron and orange.
Graft chimerism contrasts withsomatic hybridization which is due toplant sexuality; its offspring is intermediate, showing influences of both parental plants. The Florentine Bizzarria, on the other hand, displays an unusual fruit which distinctly expresses characteristics from each plant in close proximity.
The plant's name has a number of different spellings, e.g. Bizaria,[1] Bizzaria,[2] Bizzarria,[3] Bizarria,[4] and even Bizarre.[5]
Bizzarria was discovered in 1640 by Pietro Nati at thevilla namedTorre degli Agli, which belonged to the wealthyPanciatichi banking family. Bizzarria was thought to be lost but was rediscovered in the 1970s by Paolo Galleotti, the head gardener of theVilla di Castello and of the Boboli Gardens in Florence.[6]
