or is a yellowish orange

citrus hybrid Citrus taxonomy refers to the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus ''Citrus'' and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild. Citrus taxonomy is complex and controversial. ...

fruit, a group of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s of ''Citrus natsudaidai'', which were discovered in 1740 in the

Yamaguchi prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). Y ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Names

''Amanatsu'' means "sweet summer" in Japanese. In Japan, the fruit is known as , but also colloquially the ''amanatsu'', , , and .

Description

Natsumikan is about the size of

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

and

oblate In Christianity (especially in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service. Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally livi ...

in shape. The fruit contains 12 segments and about 30 seeds. The rough textured fruit is easy to peel and is commonly eaten fresh. It is also used for wide variety of products ranging from

marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamo ...

s to alcoholic beverages.

Cultivation

Natsumikan is grown commercially in Japan, notably in Yamaguchi,

Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

and

Ehime prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

. The city of

Hagi Hagi, Hadži, or Hadzhi (Хаджи) is a name derived from hajji, an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, which was later adopted by Christian peoples as a word for ''pilgrim''. People Surname ...

is famous for its natsumikans, particularly when used in natsumikan juice and ice cream. Yamaguchi Prefecture takes such pride in their natsumikan industry that the typically white crash barriers of Japan were changed to a befitting orange.

Genetics

The natsumikan tree is believed to be genetically derived from the

pomelo The pomelo ( ), ''Citrus maxima'', is the largest citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefr ...

(''Citrus grandis'' or ''Citrus maxima'').

Medicine

Researchers found that immature natsumikan peel is beneficial for the treatment of chronic

allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

dermatitis Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can v ...

in mice.

Gallery

File:Citrus kawanonatsudaidai.jpg, The large bearing tree. File:Citrus-natsudaidai.jpg, Locally at

Nagato, Yamaguchi is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 31, 1954. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 34,882 and a population density of 97 persons per km². The total area is 357.92 km². Nagato ...

. File:Gardens with natsumikans in hagi.jpg, At street side in

Hagi, Yamaguchi is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, which was incorporated on July 1, 1932. As of May 31, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 50,179 and a population density of 71.80 of persons per km². The total area is 698.86 km². ...

. File:Amanatsu trees on Nokonoshima Island.JPG, On Nokonoshima Island. File:Citrus natsudaidai Melanose.jpg, Blossoms. File:Natsudaidai.JPG, On tree. File:Kusune Citrus natsudaidai.JPG, Fruit.

Names

Description

Cultivation

Genetics

Medicine

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading