The pomelo (Citrus maxima, means "the biggest citrus"), of the Rutaceae family, is the largest citrus fruit, and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit (hybrid of the pomelo and the orange). It is native to Southeast Asia, it is commonly consumed and used for festive occasions.
Citrus maxima (Pomelo tree)
The pomelo tree may be 5–15m tall, with low-hanging, irregular branches. The elliptic thick leaves are dark green. The flowers are fragrant and yellow-white. The fruit is large from 15 to 25cm, usually weighing 1–2kg. It has a green then yellow skim, thicker than a grapefruit, and is divided into many segments. The flesh tastes like mild grapefruit, with a little of its bitterness. The enveloping membranes around the segments are bitter, and usually discarded. The fruit generally contains a few, relatively large seeds. It requires some months to mature.