I have just spent a few hours cutting up oranges and lemons to make marmalade, and was startled to see that none of the oranges had seeds. How do the trees they come from reproduce?
• On the premise that seeds detract from the appeal of fruit to consumers, plant breeders have developed seedless varieties of a number of fruits, including oranges and other citrus fruits, grapes and watermelons. These varieties can’t reproduce from seeds, of course, but this isn’t a problem.
Most commercial fruit trees, whether seedless or not, are propagated by grafting. A cutting is taken from a parent…
