Mandarin Oranges
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The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small
citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
tree
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads.
Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...
s are a group of orange-coloured citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange with some
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 ...
contribution. Mandarins are smaller and oblate, unlike the
spherical A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ce ...
common oranges (which are a mandarin–
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 ...
hybrid). The
taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...
is considered sweeter and stronger than the common orange. A ripe mandarin is firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned. The peel is thin, loose, with little white mesocarp, so they are usually easier to peel and to split into segments. Hybrids usually have these traits to a lesser degree. The mandarin is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas. According to genetic studies, the mandarin was one of the original citrus species; through breeding or natural hybridization, it is the ancestor of many hybrid citrus cultivars. With the
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
and pomelo, it is the ancestor of the most commercially important hybrids (such as sweet and sour oranges, grapefruit, and many lemons and limes). The mandarin has also been hybridized with other citrus species, such as the desert lime and the
kumquat Kumquats (; zh, 金桔), or cumquats in Australian English, are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae. Their taxonomy is disputed. They were previously classified as forming the now-historical genus ''For ...
. Though the ancestral mandarin was bitter, most commercial mandarin strains derive from hybridization with pomelo, which gives them a sweet fruit.


Etymology

The name ''mandarin orange'' is a
calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...
of Swedish ''mandarin apelsin''
Sina Sina may refer to: Relating to China * Chin (China), or Sina (), old Chinese form of the Sanskrit name Cina () ** Shina (word), or Sina ( ja, 支那, links=no), archaic Japanese word for China ** Sinae, Latin name for China Places * Sina, Al ...
''), meaning ''Chinese apple''], first attested in the 18th century. The Imperial Chinese term "mandarine" was first adopted by the French language, French for this fruit. The reason for the epithet is not clear; it may relate to the yellow colour of some robes worn by imperial China's mandarin dignitaries. ''Citrus reticulata'' is from Latin, where reticulata means "netted".


Botany

''Citrus reticulata'' is a moderate-sized tree some in height. The tree trunk and major branches have thorns. The leaves are shiny, green, and rather small. The petioles are short, almost wingless or slightly winged. The flowers are borne singly or in small groups in the leaf-axils. Citrus are usually self-fertile (needing only a
bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfami ...
to move
pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...
within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing
pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an Stamen, anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by Anemophily, wind. Pollinating agents can ...
and therefore seedless, such as the satsuma). A mature mandarin tree can yield up to of fruit.


Fruit

Mandarin orange fruits are small . Their colour is orange, yellow-orange, or red-orange. The skin is thin and peels off easily. Their easiness to peel is an important advantage of mandarin oranges over other citrus fruits. Just like with other citrus fruits, the
endocarp Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Aggr ...
(inner flesh) is separated into segments, which in their turn consist of a large number of elongated cells. The fruits may be seedless or contain a small number of
seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...
s. Mandarin orange fruits are
sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...
to taste and can be eaten as whole or squeezed to make
juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as ...
.


Production

In 2020, world production of mandarin oranges (combined with tangerines, clementines, and satsumas in reporting to
FAOSTAT The Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) website disseminates statistical data collected and maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAOSTAT data are provided as a time-series from 1961 in ...
) was 38.6 million
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s, led by China with 60% of the global total. Spain produced more than two million tonnes in 2020, while other significant producers with around one million tonnes each were
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
and
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
.


Uses


Fresh

Mandarins are generally peeled and eaten fresh or used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Fresh mandarin juice and frozen juice concentrate are commonly available in the United States. The number of seeds in each segment (carpel) varies greatly.


Peel

The peel is used fresh, whole or zested, or dried as chenpi. It can be used as a spice for cooking, baking, drinks, or candy.
Essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
from the fresh peel may be used as a flavouring for candy, in
gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...
s,
ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
,
chewing gum Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/ plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. Its t ...
, and baked goods. It is also used as a flavouring in
liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyon ...
s. In
Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...
, the peel of the mandarin orange, called chenpi, is used to flavour sweet dishes and sauces.


Canning

Canned mandarin segments are peeled to remove the white pith before canning; otherwise, they turn bitter. Segments are peeled using a chemical process. First, the segments are scalded in hot water to loosen the skin; then, they are bathed in a lye solution, which digests the
albedo Albedo (; ) is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation and measured on a scale from 0, corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation, to 1, corresponding to a body that refle ...
and membranes. Finally, the segments are rinsed several times in plain water. Once orange segments are properly prepared, mandarin oranges undergo heat processing to remove bacteria that can cause spoilage. The oranges are then packed in airtight sealed containers. Ascorbic acid may also be added.


Traditional medicine

In
traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...
, the dried peel of the fruit is used in the regulation of ch'i and to enhance
digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food molecules into small water-soluble food molecules so that they can be absorbed into the watery blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intest ...
.


Nutrition

A mandarin orange contains 85% water, 13%
carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may o ...
s, and negligible amounts of fat and
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
(table). Among
micronutrient Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for example, huma ...
s, only
vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...
is in significant content (32% of the
Daily Value The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healthy ...
) in a 100-gram reference serving, with all other nutrients in low amounts.


Cultural significance

During
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...
, mandarin oranges/
tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...
/ satsumas are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. During the two-week celebration, they are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates. Mandarin oranges, particularly from Japan, are a
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
tradition in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. In Canada and the United States, they are commonly purchased in 5- or 10-pound boxes, individually wrapped in soft green paper, and given in Christmas stockings. This custom goes back to the 1880s when Japanese immigrants in Canada and the United States began receiving Japanese mandarin oranges from their families back home as gifts for the New Year. The tradition quickly spread among the non-Japanese population and eastwards across the country: each November harvest, "The oranges were quickly unloaded and shipped east by rail. 'Orange Trains' – trains with boxcars painted orange – alerted everyone along the way that the irresistible oranges from Japan were back again for the holidays. For many, the arrival of Japanese mandarin oranges signalled the beginning of the holiday season." This Japanese tradition merged with European traditions related to the Christmas stocking.
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...
is said to have put
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
coins into the stockings of three poor girls so that they would be able to afford to get married. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold, and oranges became a symbolic stand-in for these gold balls, and are put in Christmas stockings in Canada along with chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. Satsumas were also grown in the United States from the early 1900s. Still, Japan remained a major supplier. U.S. imports of these Japanese oranges was suspended due to hostilities with Japan during World War II. While they were one of the first Japanese goods allowed for export after the end of the war, residual hostility led to the rebranding of these oranges as "mandarin" oranges. The delivery of the first batch of mandarin oranges from Japan in the port of
Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...
(Canada) is greeted with a festival that combines Santa Claus and Japanese dancers—young girls dressed in traditional
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
. Historically, the Christmas fruit sold in North America was mostly Dancys, but now it is more often a hybrid.


Literature

In Canadian literature, particularly in Gabrielle Roy's novel about
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
, ''
The Tin Flute ''The Tin Flute'' (original French title ''Bonheur d'occasion'', literally "secondhand happiness") is the first novel by Canadian author Gabrielle Roy and a classic of Canadian fiction. Imbued with Roy's brand of compassion and understanding, th ...
'', a mandarin orange figures as a touch of luxury for the dying son of the poor Lacasse family, around which the novel is woven. Mandarin oranges are mentioned in Sinclair Ross' 1942 novel, '' As for Me and My House'', and his 1939 short story, ''Cornet at Night''.


Genetics and origin

Mandarins are one of the core ancestral citrus
taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
, and are thought to have evolved in regions including
South China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
and Japan in
East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...
, and
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
. Mandarins appear to have been domesticated at least twice, in the north and south Nanling Mountains, derived from separate wild subspecies. Wild mandarins are still found there, including Daoxian mandarines (sometimes given the species name ''Citrus daoxianensis'') as well as some members of the group traditionally called 'Mangshan wild mandarins', a generic grouping for the wild mandarin-like fruit of the Mangshan area that includes both true mandarins (''mangshanyeju'', and Supplement the southern subspecies) and the genetically distinct and only distantly-related Mangshanyegan. The wild mandarins were found free of the introgressed pomelo (''C. maxima'') DNA found in domestic mandarins. Still, they did appear to have small amounts (~1.8%) of introgression from the ichang papeda, which grows wild in the same region. The Nanling Mountains are also home to northern and southern genetic clusters of domestic mandarins that have similar levels of sugars in the fruit compared to their wild relatives but appreciably (in some almost 90-fold) lower levels of citric acid. The clusters display different patterns of pomelo introgression, have different deduced historical population histories, and are most closely related to distinct wild mandarins, suggesting two independent domestications in the north and south. All tested domesticated cultivars were found to belong to one of these two genetic clusters, with varieties such as Nanfengmiju, Kishu and Satsuma deriving from the northern domestication event producing larger, redder fruit, while Willowleaf, Dancy, Sunki, Cleopatra, King, Ponkan, and others derived from the smaller, yellower-fruited southern cluster. The Tanaka classification system divided domestic mandarins and similar fruit into numerous species, giving distinct names to cultivars such as willowleaf mandarins (''C. deliciosa''), satsumas (''C. unshiu''), tangerines (''C. tangerina''). Under the Swingle system, all these are considered to be varieties of a single species, ''Citrus reticulata''. Hodgson represented them as several subgroups: common (''C. reticulata''), Satsuma,
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
(''C. nobilis''), Mediterranean (willowleaf), small-fruited (''C. indica'', ''C. tachibana'' and ''C. reshni''), and mandarin hybrids. In the genomic-based species taxonomy of Ollitrault et al., only pure mandarins would fall under ''C. reticulata'', while the pomelo admixture found in the majority of mandarins would cause them to be classified as varieties of ''C. aurantium''. Genetic analysis is consistent with continental mandarins representing a single species, with much of the variation within mandarins being due to hybridization. A separate species, ''
Citrus ryukyuensis ''Citrus ryukyuensis'' is a newly characterized wild citrus species native to the Ryukyus and adjacent islands, most closely related to the mainland mandarin orange, ''C. reticulata''. As with other citrus, it is a member of the Rutaceae family. ...
'' that diverged from the mainland species between 2 and 3 million years ago when cut off by rising sea levals was found growing on the island of
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
, and its natural and agricultural hybridization with the mainland mandarin species has produced some of the unique island mandarin cultivars of Japan and Taiwan, such as the
Tachibana orange The tachibana orange (''Citrus tachibana,'' or ''Citrus reticulata tachibana'') is a variety of mandarin orange, a citrus fruit. They grow wild in the forests of Japan and are referred to in the poetry of the early Japanese and Ryukyu Islands kin ...
, previously classified as a subspecies of pure mandarin before its parent was identified, and the Shekwasha. Some of the small number of cultivars were found to be pure in initial gemonic analysis, including
Sun Chu Sha mandarin The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
and Nanfengmiju, but Wang detected in them not only an apparent Ichang papeda introgression found in all examined mandarins but also the distinct pomelo DNA of the domesticated mandarins. Following initial hybridization, natural or cultivated backcrosses of the initial mandarin-pomelo hybrids with the mandarin stock produced mandarins with limited pomelo contribution, that differed between the northern and southern domesticates. An 'acidic' group of cultivars including
Sunki Sunki is a village in the Koraput district of the Indian state of Odisha. Location It is located at the border between Odisha's Koraput district and Vizianagaram district, Vijayanagaram district, Andhra Pradesh and on the National Highway ( ...
and Cleopatra mandarins that likewise previously were thought to be pure but since found to contain small regions of introgressed pomelo DNA are too sour to be edible, but are widely used as rootstock and grown for juice. Another group of mandarins, including some tangerines, Satsuma and King mandarins, show a greater pomelo contribution and derive from the limited-pomelo hybrids being crossed again, with sweet orange or pomelo, and likewise backcrossing in some cases, producing cultivars with moderate to high levels of pomelo introgression. Hybrid mandarins thus fall on a continuum of increasing pomelo contribution with clementines, sweet and sour oranges, and grapefruit. Mandarins and their hybrids are sold under a variety of names.


Varieties


Stem mandarins (Citrus reticulata)

* Mangshan wild mandarins (only some, others being the genetically distinct mangshanyegan) * Daoxian mandarines * Suanpangan


Domesticated mandarins and hybrids

(Species names are those from the Tanaka system. Recent genomic analysis would place them all in ''Citrus reticulata'', except the ''C. ryukyuensis'' hybrids) * Sun Chu Sha * Nanfengmiju - one of China's most widely cultivated varieties. * Cleopatra mandarin, acidic mandarin containing very small amount of pomelo
introgression Introgression, also known as introgressive hybridization, in genetics is the transfer of genetic material from one species into the gene pool of another by the repeated backcrossing of an interspecific hybrid with one of its parent species. Intr ...
. *
Sunki Sunki is a village in the Koraput district of the Indian state of Odisha. Location It is located at the border between Odisha's Koraput district and Vizianagaram district, Vijayanagaram district, Andhra Pradesh and on the National Highway ( ...
, acidic mandarin containing very small amount of pomelo
introgression Introgression, also known as introgressive hybridization, in genetics is the transfer of genetic material from one species into the gene pool of another by the repeated backcrossing of an interspecific hybrid with one of its parent species. Intr ...
. *
Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...
s (''Citrus tangerina'') is a grouping used for several distinct mandarin hybrids. Those sold in the US as tangerines have usually been Dancy,
Sunburst A sunburst is a design or figure commonly used in architectural ornaments and design patterns and possibly pattern books. It consists of rays or "beams" radiating out from a central disk in the manner of sunbeams. Sometimes part of a sunburs ...
or Murcott (Honey) cultivars. Some tangerine × grapefruit hybrids are legally sold as tangerines in the USA. * Mediterranean/Willowleaf/Thorny (''
Citrus × deliciosa ''Citrus'' × ''deliciosa'' (thorny (Australia), amarillo, beladi, ''Willowleaf Mandarin'', ''Mediterranean Mandarin'') is a citrus hybrid mandarin orange with just under 6 % pomelo ancestry. and Supplement It is related to the ponkan. It has ...
''), a mandarin with small amounts of pomelo. * Dalanghita (''Citrus reticulata'') is a smaller mandarin endemic widely cultivated in the Philippines. Also known by other local names, ''naranghita'' and ''sintones''. * Huanglingmiao (''Citrus reticulata''), a mandarin–pomelo hybrid. *
Kishumikan The kishu mikan (''Citrus kinokuni'' ex Tanaka) is a hybrid variety of mikan, or mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), found in Southern China and also grown in Japan. It is not closely related to the common sweet orange, but it is closely ...
(''Citrus reticulata''), or simply Kishu, a close clonal relative of Huanglingmiao, the two sharing a common origin before diverging as they were propagated ** Kunenbo (''Citrus nobilis'') a heterogeneous group that includes at least four distinct mandarin-pomelo hybrids. ***
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
(in full, 'King of Siam', ''Citrus nobilis'') a Kunenbo mandarin with high levels of pomelo admixture, sometimes classed as a tangor. **** Kinnow (see image), a King × Willowleaf hybrid. *** Satsuma (''Citrus unshiu''), a mandarin × pomelo hybrid with more pomelo than seen in most mandarins. It derived from a cross between a Huanglingmiao/Kishu and a non-King Kunenbo that was itself a pomelo × Huanglingmiao/Kishu cross. It is a seedless variety, of which there are over 200
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, including Wenzhou migana, , and ; the source of most canned mandarins, and popular as a fresh fruit due to its ease of consumption **** Owari, a well-known cultivar that ripens during the late autumn **
Komikan Komikan (from the Mapuche kom ikan "to eat all") is a two-player abstract strategy board game of the Mapuches (known by the Spaniards as the Araucanians) from Chile and Argentina. The same game is also played by the Incas under the name Tapta ...
, a variety of Kishumikan * The Ponkan (''Citrus reticulata''), a mandarin–pomelo hybrid ** The Dancy tangerine (''Citrus tangerina'') is a hybrid, the cross of a Ponkan with another unidentified hybrid mandarin. Until the 1970s, most tangerines grown and eaten in the USA were Dancys, and it was known as "Christmas tangerine" and zipper-skin tangerine *** Iyokan (''Citrus iyo''), a cross between the Dancy tangerine and another Japanese mandarin variety, the kaikoukan. * Bang Mot tangerine, a mandarin variety popular in Thailand. * Shekwasha (''Citrus depressa''), a group of clonal citrus that arose from multiple independent natural crosses of ''C. ryukyuensis'' with a Sun Chu Sha relative, a very sour mandarin grown for its acidic juice. * Tachibana, also a cluster of similar clones, deriving from natural crosses between different individual ''C. ryukyuensis'' and a clonal ''C. reticulata'' lineage with both northern and southern subspecies contribution.


Mandarin crosses

*
Tangelo The tangelo ( , ; ''C. reticulata × C. maxima'' or ''× C. paradisi''), ''Citrus × tangelo, is'' a citrus fruit hybrid of a ''Citrus reticulata'' variety, such as mandarin orange or tangerine, and a ''Citrus maxima'' variety, such as a pome ...
s, a generic term for modern mandarin (tangerine) × pomelo and mandarin ×
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 ...
crosses ** The Mandelo or 'cocktail grapefruit', a cross between a Dancy/King mixed mandarin and a pomelo. The term is also sometimes used generically, like a tangelo, for recent mandarin × pomelo hybrids. * The
sour orange Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross be ...
(''Citrus'' x ''aurantium'') derives from a direct cross between a pure mandarin and a pomelo **
Lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...
(''Citrus'' x ''limon''), a sour orange ×
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
hybrid. *** Lime (''Citrus'' x ''latifolia''), a lemon × Key lime cross ***
Bergamot orange ''Citrus bergamia'', the bergamot orange (pronounced ), is a fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime, depending on ripeness. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cult ...
(''Citrus'' x ''bergamia''), a lemon × sour orange backcross ** Limetta (''Citrus limetta''), a distinct sour orange × citron hybrid * The common sweet orange (''Citrus'' x ''sinensis'') derives from a cross between a non-pure mandarin and pomelo parents ** Tangors, or ''Temple oranges'', are crosses between the mandarin orange and the common sweet orange; their thick rind is easy to peel, and its bright orange pulp is sour-sweet and full-flavoured. Some such hybrids are commonly called mandarins or tangerines. *** Clementine (''Citrus'' × ''clementina''), a spontaneous hybrid between a Willowleaf mandarin orange and a sweet orange. sometimes known as a "Thanksgiving Orange" or "Christmas orange", as its peak season is
winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
; an important commercial mandarin orange form, having displaced mikans in many markets. **** Clemenules or Nules, a variety of Clementine named for the Valencian town where it was first bred in 1953; it is the most popular variety of Clementine grown in Spain. **** Fairchild is a hybrid of Clementine and
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
tangelo *** Murcott, a mandarin × sweet orange hybrid, one parent being the King. **** Tango is a proprietary seedless mid-late season irradiated selection of Murcott developed by the University of California Citrus Breeding Program. ***
Kiyomi (''Citrus unshiu'' × '' sinensis'') is a Japanese 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 lagoon near ...
(''Citrus unshiu'' × ''sinensis'') is a Satsuma/sweet orange hybrid from Japan ****
Dekopon is a seedless and sweet variety of satsuma orange. It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan (Nakano no.3), developed in Japan in 1972. Originally a brand name, "Dekopon" has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands ...
, a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan, marketed in the United States as Sumo Citrus(R) **
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 ...
(''Citrus'' x ''paradisi''), the result of backcrossing the sweet orange with pomelo **
Meyer lemon ''Citrus'' × ''meyeri'', the Meyer lemon (), is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid. Mature trees are around tall with dark green shiny leaves. The flowers are white with a purpl ...
(''Citrus'' x ''meyer''), a cross between a mandarin × pomelo hybrid and a
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
. **
Palestinian sweet lime ''Citrus limettioides'', Palestinian sweet lime or Indian sweet lime or common sweet lime, alternatively considered a cultivar of Citrus × limon, ''C.'' × ''limon'' 'Indian Lime', is a low-acid lime used in Palestine for food, juice and rootsto ...
(''Citrus'' x ''limettioides''), a distinct (mandarin × pomelo) × citron hybrid * Rangpur lime (''Citrus'' x ''limonia''), a pure-mandarin × citron cross *
Rough lemon Rough lemon (''Citrus'' × ''jambhiri'' Lush.) is the fruit and the tree of a citrus hybrid. Like the rangpur, it is a cross between mandarin orange and citron. Rough lemon is a cold-hardy citrus and can grow into a large tree. The rough lem ...
(''Citrus'' x ''jambhiri''), a pure-mandarin × citron cross, distinct from rangpur *
Volkamer lemon Volkamer lemon (''Citrus volkameriana''), often misspelled Volckamer lemon, is known as 沃 尔卡默柠檬 (Wo er ka mo ning meng) in Chinese, citron de Volkamer in French, limone Volkameriano in Italian, and chanh Volkamer in Vietnamese. It is ...
(''Citrus volkameriana''), a pure-mandarin x
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
cross, distinct from rangpur and rough lemon * Jabara (''Citrus jabara''), a Kunenbo mandarin ×
yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. I ...
cross. * several of the kumquat-hybrid ''
Citrofortunella Citrofortunella are a large group of commercial hybrids that cross the kumquat with other citrus. In the system of citrus taxonomy established by Swingle, kumquats were placed in a different genus, '' Fortunella'', from ''Citrus'', which included ...
'', including
calamansi Calamansi (''Citrus'' × ''microcarpa''), also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, is an economically important citrus hybrid predominantly cultivated in the Philippines. It is native to the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, ...
,
citrangequat The citrangequat is a citrus hybrid of a citrange and a kumquat, developed by Walter Swingle at Eustis, Florida, in 1909. Citrangequats are bitter in taste, but are considered edible by some at the peak of their maturity. Three named cultivars ex ...
,
orangequat The madarinquat, also misleadingly called orangequat, is any cross between a mandarin and a kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia). Mandarinquats are members of the citrofortunella group. The variety Nippon orangequat was first introduced in 1932 by D ...
, mandarinquat and
sunquat A sunquat, also known as lemonquat or lemondrop, is a variety of citrus fruit, having an edible rind. It was initially created by Leslie Cude in Beeville, Texas, as a chance hybrid between a lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a spec ...


Non-mandarins

* Mangshanyegans, long thought to be mandarins, are a separate species.


See also

*
Japanese citrus A number of citrus fruits are grown in or strongly associated with Japan. Many of these fruits are of Chinese origin, but have been modified or specially bred for cultivation in Japan. Japanese taxonomy Japan usually follows the botanical names ...
*
List of citrus fruits This is a list of citrus fruits: Hybrid Citron Papeda See also * List of lemon dishes and drinks This is a list of lemon dishes and drinks, in which lemon is used as a primary ingredient. Lemon is a small evergreen tree native t ...
*
Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...
* ''
Citrus unshiu ''Citrus unshiu'' is a semi-seedless and easy-peeling citrus species, also known as miyagawa mandarin, unshu mikan, cold hardy mandarin, satsuma mandarin, satsuma orange, naartjie, and tangerine. ''Citrus unshiu'' was named after Unshu (Wenzho ...
'' * ''
Ju Song ''Ju Song'' () is a Classical Chinese poem which has been preserved in the '' Nine Pieces'' (''Jiu Zhang'') section of the ancient Chinese poetry anthology, the ''Chu ci'', or ''The Songs of Chu''. The poem has been translated into English by D ...
'' – "In Praise of the Orange-Tree" *
Orange (fruit) An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family (biology), family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to Citrus × sinensis, ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distin ...


References

{{Authority control Citrus Fruits originating in Asia Christmas food Sinterklaas food Fruit trees Flora of China Flora of Japan Flora of Vietnam