Citrus Reticulata

Indian Name:  Narangi

Botanical Name:  Citrus Reticulata

Other Names:  Orange, Mandarin orange, Citrus aurantium

Introduction

Citrus Reticulata plant comes from the family of oranges and has a number of names. Some of the names refer to a cross between other citrus fruits and the mandarin fruit.  Other varieties available are a seedless variety called Satsuma, the Christmas Orange also known as Clementine, Dancy Mandarin or Tangerine and Temple Orange also termed as Tangor.

Citrus Reticulata is a small tree bearing citrus fruits very similar to other kinds of oranges. Mandarine or Mandarin are the two terms used for the Mandarin orange.  The fruit is used in salads or eaten plain. The tree is more tolerant to droughts as compared to the fruit. Tangerines are marketed as the orange mandarin that is a bit reddish in color but this classification is not botanical. The plant grows in the sub tropical and tropical regions.

Origin

Mandarin Orange is a fruit that requires a high population of bees to ensure a good crop. It is grown in China, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Thailand and Pakistan mainly besides some other countries as well. The fruit is considered a symbol of good fortune and abundance, traditionally during the New Year in China. The celebrations run for two weeks and the fruit is presented in the form of decoration and gift to associates in business, friends and relatives.

Uses

It is used as a herbal medicine. When the fruits mature and ripen, dried peel of the mandarin orange is used as a medication. Since more than ten decades it has been used in dissolving phlegm and relieving cough in many regions in Asia. A lot of scientific studies have been conducted on this medicinal plant. It has been demonstrated that extract of ripened and dried peel of the fruit has pharmaceutical properties.

It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti asthmatic effects on the body. A decoction of containing mandarin peel extract is a great remedy to treat chronic cough and bronchitis. Functions of other kinds of herbs can be best enhanced by the peel of Mandarin orange. Rind of Mandarin Orange is thick and easy to peel with fingers. No juice is squirted while it is being split into segments thus making it easy to eat. Segments of the fruit are canned but the white pith should be removed before canning.