Jan 1957: Thirty seeds germinated from approx 100 seeds.
Jan 1959: Three sdlgs in 5 gal cans frosted - died - lathhouse. Trees in greenhouse growing vigorously.
Jan 1961: Budded triphasia on cleo and on variegated sour branch.
Feb 1962: Growing vig on var sour - only fair on Cleo.
(Note: above comments unattributed in archives but most probably made by J Brusca, a technician for WP Bitters.) Too tender for the field here, keep in GH only. (EM Nauer, ca 1987)
Swingle and Reece (1967) describe this taxon thusly:
"A glabrous shrub or small tree with terete twigs bearing paired spines in the axils of the leaves; leaves 3-foliolate, the terminal leaflet ovate with a cuneate base and a rounded emarginate tip, 2-4 X 1.5-2 cm; lateral leaflets much smaller than the terminal one (1-2-2 X 0.8-1.2 cm), broadly rounded at the tip, cuneate at the base; petiolules very short (1.5-2 cm); petioles short (3-5 mm), wingless; flowers appearing singly or 2 or 3 in the axils of the leaves; peduncles short (3-4 X 1 mm); flower buds cylindrical, 10-12 X 3-4 mm; flowers 3-merous (but with 6 stamens); sepals small (1.5-2 mm long), 3-lobed, green, persistent; petals white, 10-13 X 3.6-4.5 mm; staminal filaments slender, glabrous, 9-11 mm long, anthers oblong, 2 X 1 mm; disk annular or short-cylindric; ovary ovoid or fusiform with 3 locules, each with 1 ovule, narrowed into a slender, deciduous style with a capitate, 3-lobed stigma; fruit ovoid or subglobose, sometimes apiculate, 1.2-1.5 cm long, dull reddish-orange or crimson when fleshy ripe; peel with many small oil glands; seeds 1-3, immersed in mucilaginous pulpy flesh.
"Triphasia trifolia is very widely grown in all tropical and subtropical regions as an ornamental shrub. It is also used for hedges. The fragrant white flowers are soon succeeded on the branches by the small dull-red berries (see fig. 3-14). The foliage is handsome, a shiny dark green, and the plant usually makes a round-topped shrub that does not grow too large for dooryard plantings. Triphasia trifolia has become naturalized in certain sections of the United States, in "hammocks, fields and cultivated grounds, coastal plain, Florida to Texas," according to Small (1933, p. 760)".
A more recent introduction of this species is RSD 2010002. It is unknown at this time how these accessions might differ. (RR Krueger, 08/09/2010)
Additional information on this accession is available from the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection.