Encore' mandarin is a

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

cultivar. This cultivar is a hybrid between two mandarins (King x Willowleaf), obtained by H.B. Frost, in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It began to be commercialized from 1965. It is cultivated in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, in

greenhouses A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

. In

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, its area has increased due to the high prices of the fruits, but at the moment it is stabilized or diminishing. The tree has a characteristic aspect, given by the branches that form an acute angle with the central axis of the tree, without observing pending branches. The fruit is of excellent internal quality, although its

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...

content is relatively low when compared to an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

. Each fruit can contain 25 or more seeds. In some orchards, the number of seeds is reduced. It has a great tendency to alternate bearing. In the year of high harvest presents low levels of

potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...

. The fruit can even kill the branches because it is a very strong (the strongest) sink. Sometimes fruit present peel pitting, which is a problem for its commercialization, especially in markets where this fruit is not known. There are orchards where no pitting appear until harvest, or peel pitting is not notorious. Another problem is the fruit splitting in autumn.

Hybrids

'Encore' is a parent of: * 'Nou 5 gou', (

Kishu mikan The kishu mikan (''Citrus kinokuni'' ex Tanaka), from Japanese , is a hybrid variety of mikan, or mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), found in Southern China and also grown in Japan. The fruit is also known as ''Baby Mandarin'', ''Tiny T ...

x Encore) * ' Tsunonozomi', (

Kiyomi ('' Citrus unshiu'' × '' sinensis'') is a Japanese, sweet citrus fruit that is a hybrid of a ''Miyagawa Wase'' mikan and an orange. The new breed was the first tangor created in Japan in 1949. It was named Kiyomi after the temple and the la ...

x Encore) * 'Amaka', (

x Encore) * 'Mihocore' ( Miho satsuma x Encore) * 'Tsunokagayaki', ('KyOw No. 14' (

x Okitsu Wase satsuma) x Encore)

References

E E {{Rutaceae-stub