Orange (fruit)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the fruit. For the colour, see
Orange (colour). For the painting also called "Orange Trees", see
Les Orangers. For other uses, see
Orange (disambiguation).
An orange, whole and split
Orange blossoms and oranges on tree
Oranges and orange juice
The
orange (specifically, the
sweet orange) is the
fruit of the
citrus species
Citrus × sinensis in the
family Rutaceae.
[1]
The fruit of the
Citrus × sinensis is considered a sweet orange, whereas the fruit of the
Citrus × aurantium is considered a
bitter orange. The sweet orange reproduces asexually (
apomixis through
nucellar embryony); varieties of sweet orange arise through mutations.
[2]
The orange is a
hybrid, between
pomelo (
Citrus maxima) and
mandarin (
Citrus reticulata). It has genes that are ~25% pomelo and ~75% mandarin;
[2][3] however, it is not a simple
backcrossed BC1 hybrid, but hybridized over multiple generations.
[4] The chloroplast genes, and therefore the maternal line, seem to be pomelo.
[2] The sweet orange has had its full genome sequenced.
[2] Earlier estimates of the percentage of pomelo genes varying from ~50% to 6% have been reported.
[3]
Sweet oranges were mentioned in Chinese literature in 314 BC.
[2] As of 1987, orange trees were found to be the most
cultivated fruit tree in the world.
[5] Orange trees are widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates for their sweet fruit. The fruit of the orange tree can be eaten fresh, or processed for its juice or fragrant peel.
[6] As of 2012, sweet oranges accounted for approximately 70% of citrus production.
[7]
In 2013, 71.4 million metric tons of oranges were grown worldwide, production being highest in
Brazil and the U.S. states of
Florida and
California.
[8]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(fruit)