Kumquat (redirected from Citrus japonica)

kumquat (kŭm`kwŏt), ornamental shrub of the genus Fortunella of the family Rutaceae (rue family), closely related to the orange and other citrus fruits. It has evergreen leaves, sweet-scented white flowers, and small, orange-yellow edible fruits which are eaten fresh or in preserves. Three or four types of the kumquat, which is probably native to China, are cultivated as house and hedge plants in the Gulf states and in California. They are much hardier than most oranges. The kumquat is also called kinkan. Kumquats are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.

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kumquat

Any of several evergreen shrubs or small trees of the genus Fortunella (rue, or citrus, family), or their fruit. Native to eastern Asia, kumquats are cultivated throughout the subtropics. The mainly thornless branches bear dark green, glossy leaves and white, orangelike flowers. The small, bright orange-yellow, round or oval fruit has mildly acid, juicy pulp and a sweet, edible, pulpy skin. Kumquats may be eaten fresh, preserved, or candied, or made into jams and jellies. In the U.S., hybrids have been produced with other citrus fruits.

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kumquat, cumquat

1. any of several small Chinese trees of the rutaceous genus Fortunella

2. the small round orange fruit of such a tree, with a sweet rind, used in preserves and confections

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kumquat [′kəm‚kwät]

(botany)

A citrus shrub or tree of the genusFortunellain the order Sapindales grown for its small, flame- to orange-colored edible fruit having three to five locules filled with an acid pulp, and a sweet, pulpy rind.

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Kumquat 

(genus Fortunella), evergreen fruit trees or shrubs of the family Rutaceae. The leaves are small and dark green. The flowers are white, small, single or in clusters, and perfect. The fruit is up to 2 cm in diameter, round or oval, and yellow-orange in color, with a rind that is smooth, very fragrant, sweet, and edible; the pulp is sweet and acid.

Kumquat is quite frost-resistant (surviving short-term frosts up to 12°C). It grows well in the humid subtropics of the USSR and bears fruit on both acid and slightly alkaline soils. It is native to eastern Asia. There are six species in China, Japan, and on the Malay Archipelago and two species in the USSR (both cultivated)—the Nagami, or oval, kumquat (F. margarita) and the Marumi kumquat (F.japónica). The fruit is used for jams and candied peels. Kumquats are grown as ornamentals and are used in plant breeding for developing frost-resistant forms of citrus fruits. They are propagated by grafting on all species of citrus plants and on Poncirus trifoliata. They are cultivated in the same manner as other citrus crops.

REFERENCES

Ekimov, V. P. Subtropicheskoe plodovodstvo. Moscow, 1955.
Zhukovskii, P. M. Kul’turnye rasteniia i ikh sorodichi, 3rd ed. Leningrad, 1971.

A. D. ALEKSANDROV