Poncirus Trifoliata

Living in England, it isn't easy to locate any publically accessible, mature Poncirus specimens growing in the Paris region. There are very few references on the internet. So I would be grateful to any Paris residents who know of more plants - I am sure there must be some. So E-mail me!
Thanks go to Jean Henry for some very useful information and photos, prior to my visit to Paris in October 2007.

Alongside the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, within the Jardin des Plantes, there is a narrow strip of land between the road and the building, completely isolated from the rest of the garden and only accessible to staff. However, there are four superb, tall, old poncirus trees growing here - high enough to reach well above the tall metal railings. After a windy late-October or November night, there must be fallen fruit on the pavement of Rue Buffon, and a long-armed seed-collector could certainly reach some through the railings! When I visited fruits were large and abundant.

This specimen is within the small garden at the south-west corner of the Grand Palais. It is growing along the banks of the sunken stream that flows through the garden. Quite tall, but not as old nor as spreading as those in the Rue Buffon. Seed collectors would have difficulty retrieving any fallen fruit from the stream and banks! There is also a second plant, partly overgrown that did not appear to have any fruit.

Within walking distance of metro stop Porte d'Auteil, this area houses the Paris municipality's glasshouses, originally intended as the city's plant nursery production area. There is a rather grand palm house and several interesting plant collections, mainly from areas of the world with French colonial connections.
On the far side of the left group of glasshouses, on an embankment edging a service road, is a group of four or five fruiting Poncirus trifoliata plants. They are growing as rather straggly, low shrubs, and are not terribly old. Fruits seemed particularly small - maybe the embankment is very dry - but a couple I investigated did contain seeds.

There are other places in the Paris area that research suggests may have Poncirus trifoliata.

The first is the small botanical garden of the university faculty of pharmacy. I tried to enter through the gate on Rue d'Assas, but all was locked. I have since discovered that public access is through 4, avenue de l'Observatoire. Click here for details.

I am fairly certain there is a good specimen at the Arboretum of l'École du Breuil, within the Bois de Vincennes.

There is a park on the north-west outskirts of Paris called Parc de la Planchette à Levallois-Perret, referred to at this website.

A possible location is at the Arboretum de Chevreloup, part of the grounds of the Chateau de Versailles and administered by the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. However, my e-mails have brought no response, and I can find no on-line database of plants in the arboretum.

Any further information welcome. Please e-mail me

Then called Citrus triptera, this drawing appeared in the French journal 'Revue Horticole in 1885. The samples used were collected at the Jardin des Plantes, so may have been these very same trees!