Japanese name: ベルガモット Scientific name:Citrus bergamia
[Overview]
An evergreen tree growing 2–5 m tall.
It is presumed to be a hybrid of the daidai and the mandarin orange.
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 pear-shaped to spherical with an uneven surface, ripening yellow to orange.
[Uses]
The flesh is extremely bitter, so it is not suited to eating raw or to using the juice.
It is mainly used for obtaining essential oil, which serves as a fragrance.
The black tea Earl Grey is flavored with bergamot.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by grafting.
It has weak cold tolerance and suits a sunny site in a warm region.
It is a food plant of the swallowtail butterfly.
