Japanese name: マンダリン Scientific name:Citrus reticulata
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub grown as a fruit tree.
Taxonomically, tangerine is the same species, and the two are distinguished by the color of the peel.
The alternate leaves look simple, but they are degenerated compound leaves, with entire margins and narrow wings.
The flowers are white with 5 petals.
Many stamens are fused up to the middle of the filaments, forming a staminal tube.
The fruit ripens yellow to orange in autumn to winter.
The peel is thin and can be removed by hand.
[History]
Mandarin refers to officials of the Qing dynasty in China, and derives from the color of the clothes they wore.
In the Qing dynasty, the fruit was presented to the emperor by high-ranking officials as a token of respect and loyalty.
[Uses]
The flesh has little sourness and is very sweet, so it can be eaten raw.
An essential oil is obtained from the peel and used in perfumes and aromatherapy.
In China it is written "桔", and because it contains the character 吉 (good fortune) and is therefore auspicious, bonsai of this tree are bought at the Spring Festival and called "年桔".
[Cultivation]
It is a food plant of swallowtail butterflies.
