Japanese name: ダイダイ（橙、代々） Scientific name:Citrus aurantium
[Overview]
An evergreen tree cultivated as a fruit tree.
It is presumed to be a natural hybrid of the buntan and the mandarin.
The Japanese name derives from the fact that old and new fruits are on the branch at the same time; for good luck, such as the prosperity of descendants, it is used in New Year decorations.
In Japan, the Kabusu and Zadaidai lines are mainly cultivated.
Kabusu has a distinctive smell in the fruit peel.
The alternate leaves look simple, but they are reduced compound leaves; they are entire and leathery.
The flowers are white and fragrant.
Many stamens are fused up to the middle of the filaments, forming a staminal tube.
The fruit is nearly spherical, weighing about 150–200 g, and turns deep orange in early winter.
In April–May it becomes greener again (regreening).
[Uses]
The juice is too sour to eat raw, but it is used for marmalade and as vinegar.
It is also known for yielding neroli oil, a fragrant oil, from the flowers.
[Cultivation]
When used as a garden tree, it suits regions with mild winters, from southern Kanto westward.
In other regions, it is better grown in pots.
It is a food plant of the swallowtail butterfly.
