Citrus unshiu

The Satsuma (Citrus × aurantium ) is a native of southern Japan citrus plants (Citrus ). It makes sweet, almost seedless and less acidic citrus fruits. The Satsuma is not identical to the mandarin (C. reticulata ), although its fruits in Europe are also traded as seedless " mandarins ". The tree is regarded as a hybrid of tangerine and orange and can be traced back to 1429. Satsuma trees have of the commercially important citrus fruits, the greatest tolerance to low temperatures and mature relatively early, without the need for large heat sums.

Description

The Satsuma grows as a small evergreen tree with irregular, spreading crown. The branches hanging over occasionally, they are almost thornless. The leaves are relatively large, lanceolate, pointed at both ends, with a Träufelspitze. The petiole is long and widened.

The fruit is sweet and usually seedless. It is about the size of a tangerine, ie smaller than an orange. The fruit bowl can be easily detached. The interior is divided into ten or twelve segments. The juice sacs that fill the segments are short and wide. They contain the orange pulp. See occasional seeds inside are bright green.

Designation

In Japan it is Unshu Mikan (Japanese温州 蜜柑), abbreviated Mikan (蜜柑), Mikan is in Japan also a collective term for citrus fruits. The name Unshu could to the Chinese region of Wenzhou ( also outdated: Wenchow ) relate, although the Satsuma was previously known only in Japan.

1876 ​​, during the Meiji period, were brought to Kyushu in the United States by the wife of a member of the U.S. Embassy Mikan from the province of Satsuma. Hence the name in Europe, although the plant is indeed native to Japan, but not specifically only in this province. In the U.S. it is called Satsuma Mandarin, UK Satsuma Satsuma tangerine or orange.

The first description of Vasil Vasilevicz Marcowicz unshiu as Citrus was published in 1921, with unshiu is an outdated, transcription of Unshu. However, the species status was controversial; partially the Satsuma was also regarded as a variety or cultivar of the mandarin (Citrus reticulata ). This resulted in some synonyms as a variety, such as Citrus nobilis var unshiu Swingle, Citrus reticulata Blanco var unshiu or as a species Citrus reticulata ' Unshiu '. Recent genetic studies show the Satsuma as a hybrid between the mandarin (Citrus reticulata ) and orange (Citrus aurantium × ). Since the orange is a hybrid - of tangerine and grapefruit - has the Satsuma mandarin as original species and grapefruit as ancestors. Hybrids of tangerine and grapefruit get the scientific name Citrus aurantium ×. Because of this intersection, however, many different, commonly occupied by different names plants have emerged, the addition of Citrus aurantium × Satsuma group can be used for better differentiation.

Dissemination

The Satsuma is cultivated today in Japan, Spain, Central China, Korea, Turkey, on the Black Sea in Russia, Sicily in southern Africa and South America. In smaller quantities it is drawn in California and North Florida, where some smaller towns are named after the fruit.

Documents

• W. Reuther, HJ Webber, LD Batchelor ( eds.) ( 1967): The Citrus Industry. Bd 1 & 2 University of California.