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Search Britannica Click here to search Browse Dictionary Quizzes Money Subscribe Subscribe Login orange Table of Contents orange * Introduction * Cultivation * History and use Fast Facts * orange summary * Related Content * Quizzes Media * Videos * Images More * More Articles On This Topic * Contributors * Article History Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Food ORANGE fruit Actions Cite Share Give Feedback External Websites Print Cite Share Feedback External Websites By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 10, 2022 Article History Table of Contents orange See all media Related Topics: carotenemia orange juice sour orange sweet orange mandarin orange ...(Show more) See all related content → Summary READ A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS TOPIC Discover the techniques to identify fresh oranges and learn about its health benefits See all videos for this article orange, any of several species of small trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae and their nearly round fruits, which have leathery and oily rinds and edible, juicy inner flesh. A number of species and varieties of orange are economically important, namely the China orange, also called the sweet, or common, orange (Citrus ×sinensis); the mandarin orange (C. reticulata), some varieties of which are called tangerines; and the sour, or Seville, orange (C. ×aurantium), which is less extensively grown. Common varieties of the sweet orange include the Jaffa, from Israel, the seedless navel, and the Maltese, or blood, orange. CULTIVATION mandarin orange The tree of the sweet orange often reaches 6 metres (20 feet) in height. The broad, glossy, evergreen leaves are medium-sized and ovate; the petioles (leafstalks) have narrow wings. Its white five-petaled flowers are very fragrant. The fruit is a modified berry known as a hesperidium, and the flesh is divided into segments called carpels. The usual shape of the sweet-orange fruit is round and the colour of its pulp orange, but there are variations. The mandarin, for example, is distinctly flattened, and the blood orange has red pulp. The pulp of the sweet orange is agreeably acidulous and sweet; the leathery peel is comparatively smooth; and the oil glands are convex. Oranges are picked when fully ripe, for, unlike some deciduous fruits, they do not ripen or improve in quality after being picked. The trees bear abundantly from 50 to 80 years or even more, and some old orange trees whose age must be reckoned by centuries still produce crops. Britannica Quiz Name That Flower! Oranges thrive best where the trees are chilled somewhat by occasional light frosts in winter. The trees are semidormant at that season, and temperatures just below freezing will not harm trees or fruit unless frost occurs early, before the trees have finished their annual growth. In the coldest cultivation areas, the orchards may be heated with smudge pots or smokeless natural-gas burners. The trees tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, from extremely sandy soils to rather heavy clay loams; they grow especially well in intermediate types of soil. Orange orchards are generally planted in relatively deep soil where drainage is good. The orange trees are usually budded on stocks grown from the seed of selected trees. The seeds are sown in well-prepared soil in a lath house; after about 12 months’ growth there, the seedlings are removed to a nursery. After about 12–16 months in the nursery, the trees are usually large enough to bud. When the budded tops are one to two years old, the trees are large enough to plant in the orchard. The culture of intercrops such as beans, tomatoes, or melons among immature orange trees is common in some places. The growth of cover crops makes use of seasonal rainfall for production of organic matter to be incorporated into the soil. In many areas where oranges are grown, it is necessary to supplement the rainfall with irrigation; this is generally the practice in Texas, California, Israel, Spain, Morocco, and parts of South Africa. HISTORY AND USE Oranges are believed to be native to the tropical regions of Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago; along with other citrus species, they have been cultivated from remote ages. Orange culture probably spread from its native habitat to India and the east coast of Africa and from there to the eastern Mediterranean region. The Roman conquests, the development of Arab trade routes, and the expansion of Islam contributed significantly to this dispersal. By the time Christopher Columbus sailed, orange trees were common in the Canary Islands. Today oranges are cultivated in subtropical and tropical America, northern and eastern Mediterranean countries, Australia, and South Africa. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now Prior to 1920, the orange was mainly considered a dessert fruit. The spread of orange-juice drinking, in contrast with eating of the fresh fruit, significantly increased the per capita consumption of oranges. Also important was the growing appreciation of the dietary value of citrus fruits; oranges are rich in vitamin C and also provide some vitamin A. The most important product made from oranges in the United States is frozen concentrated juice. Essential oils, pectin, candied peel, and orange marmalade are among the important by-products. Sour, or Seville, oranges are raised especially for making marmalade. Stock feed is made from the waste material left from processing. This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello. nectarine Table of Contents nectarine * Introduction * Physical description * Genetics and cultivation Fast Facts * Facts & Related Content * Quizzes Media * Images More * More Articles On This Topic * Contributors * Article History Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Food NECTARINE fruit and tree Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/plant/nectarine Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites * Healthline - What’s the Difference Between Peaches and Nectarines? * The Spruce Eats - What are Nectarines? Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: * Table Of Contents Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/plant/nectarine Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites * Healthline - What’s the Difference Between Peaches and Nectarines? * The Spruce Eats - What are Nectarines? Alternate titles: Prunus persica By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History Table of Contents nectarines See all media Related Topics: peach fruit ...(Show more) See all related content → nectarine, (Prunus persica), smooth-skinned peach of the rose family (Rosaceae) that is grown throughout the warmer temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. A genetic variant of common peaches, the nectarine was most likely domesticated in China more than 4,000 years ago. The expression of a recessive allele is thought to be responsible for the smooth skin of nectarine fruits, which lack the fuzzy trichomes (plant hairs) characteristic of peach fruits. Nectarines are a source of vitamins A and C and are commonly eaten fresh or cooked in conserves, jams, and pies. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Nectarine and peach trees are virtually indistinguishable. Small to medium-sized, the trees seldom reach 6.5 metres (21 feet) in height. Under cultivation, however, they are usually kept between 3 and 4 metres (10 and 13 feet) tall by pruning. The leaves are glossy green, lance-shaped, and long pointed; they usually have glands at their bases that secrete a fluid to attract ants and other insects. The flowers, borne in the leaf axils, are arranged singly or in groups of two or three at nodes along the shoots of the previous season’s growth. The five petals, usually pink but occasionally white, five sepals, and three whorls of stamens are borne on the outer rim of the short tube, known as the hypanthium, that forms the base of the flower. Britannica Quiz Name That Flower! The nectarine fruit develops from a single ovary that ripens into both a fleshy, juicy exterior that forms the edible part of the fruit and a hard interior, called the stone or pit, that encloses the seed(s). Of the two ovules in the ovary, usually only one becomes fertilized and develops into a seed. This frequently results in one half of the fruit being slightly larger than the other. The flesh may be white, yellow, or red, with the outer skin often yellow to red. Varieties may be freestone types, which have stones that separate easily from the ripe flesh, or clingstones, which have flesh that adheres firmly to the stone. GENETICS AND CULTIVATION nectarine When peaches are crossed or self-pollinated, resulting seeds that carry the recessive allele for smooth skin will give rise to nectarines, while those that carry the dominant allele will be peaches. Nectarines may sometimes appear on peach trees as a result of the process of bud variation, or bud sporting, a vegetative deviation from the normal. Cultivation of nectarines is essentially the same as for peaches, with best results usually obtained on well-drained sandy or gravelly loams enriched with nitrogen. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello. Load Next Page Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "orange". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/plant/orange-fruit. Accessed 20 January 2023. Copy Citation Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/plant/orange-fruit Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/plant/orange-fruit External Websites * LiveScience - Orange * Purdue University - NewCROP - Orange * PlantVillage - Orange Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. * orange - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) * orange - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: * Table Of Contents * Introduction * Cultivation * History and use verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "orange". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/plant/orange-fruit. Accessed 20 January 2023. Copy Citation External Websites * LiveScience - Orange * Purdue University - NewCROP - Orange * PlantVillage - Orange Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. * orange - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) * orange - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Update Privacy Preferences