citrus fruits
citrus fruits widely used edible fruits of plants belonging to Citrus and related genera of the family Rutaceae ( orange family). Included are the tangerine, citrange, tangelo, orange, pomelo, grapefruit , lemon , lime , citron , and kumquat . 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 ), 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, greening, 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).
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citrus
citrus Important group of trees and shrubs of the genus Citrus in the rue family. They include grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine and ugli, and are native to subtropical regions. The stems are usually thorny, the leaves bright green, shiny and pointed. The flowers are usually white, waxy and fragrant. The fruit (hesperidium) is usually ovoid with a thick, aromatic rind. The inside of the fruit is pulpy and juicy and is divided into segments that contain the seeds. Most citrus fruits contain large amounts of vitamin C. Family Rutaceae.
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citrus
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
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2009
| © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information)
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cit·rus
/ ˈsitrəs/
•
n.
(pl. citruses)
a tree of the rue family belonging to the genus Citrus, which includes citron, lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit. Native to Asia, citrus trees are widely cultivated in warm countries for their fruit, which has juicy flesh and pulpy rind.
∎
(also citrus fruit)
a fruit from such a tree.
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adj.
(also citrous)
of or relating to these trees or their fruits.
DERIVATIVES:
cit·rus·y adj. .
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