citrus fruits definition of citrus fruits in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

citrus fruits, widely used edible fruits of plants belonging to Citrus and related genera of the family Rutaceae (orange orange, name for a tree of the family Rutaceae ( rue , or orange, family), native to China and Indochina, and for its fruit, the most important fresh fruit of international commerce.
..... Click the link for more information. family). Included are the tangerine, citrange, tangelo, orange, pomelo, grapefruit grapefruit, pomelo (pŏm`əlō), or pummelo
..... Click the link for more information. , lemon lemon, one of the citrus fruits , from a tree (Citrus limon) of the family Rutaceae ( orange family), probably native to India. A small tree (to about 15 ft/5 m tall) with thorny branches and purple-edged white blossoms, it requires a mild, equable climate.
..... Click the link for more information. , lime lime, in botany, small shrublike tree (Citrus aurantifolia) of the family Rutaceae ( rue family), one of the citrus fruit trees, similar to the lemon but more spreading and irregular in growth.
..... Click the link for more information. , citron citron (sĭt`rən), name for a tree (Citrus medica
..... Click the link for more information. , and kumquat kumquat (kŭm`kwŏt), ornamental shrub of the genus Fortunella
..... Click the link for more information. . Almost all the species bearing edible fruits are small trees native to SE Asia, Indonesia, or Malaysia. The citron was introduced to the Mediterranean area from Asia before the advent of Christianity; the others were spread chiefly by the Arabs during the Middle Ages. Introduced throughout Europe during the Crusades, they were brought by Portuguese and Spanish explorers to the West Indies, whence they were introduced into North and South America. Commercially they are now the most important group of tropical and subtropical fruits in the world. The fruits are rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), various fruit acids (especially citric acid citric acid or 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, HO₂CCH₂C(OH)(CO₂H)CH₂CO₂
..... Click the link for more information. ), and fruit sugar. The rind, which contains numerous oil glands, and the fragrant blossoms of some species are also a source of essential oils used for perfumes and similar products. Citrus fruits can be damaged by freezing temperatures, pests (scale insects, rust mites), and various bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases (e.g., citrus canker, tristeza, and melanose).

Bibliography

See W. Reuther, ed., The Citrus Industry (3 vol., 1968–78); R. W. Ward and R. L. Kilmer, The Citrus Industry (1989).