Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

100. China, sweet orange
RUE FAMILY (RUTACEAE)
Sweet orange, or orange, the best known and
most popular of the citrus fruits, is clistinguislied
by : (1) the familiar, usually smooth orange rouncl
fruit, mostly 21/2-31, inches in diameter, with
sweetish orange-colored flesh; (2) very fragrant
\f7hite flo~vers wit11 usually 5 petals about 1Ih;llh
inches across; and (3) leaves oblong to elliptlc or
ovate, short-pointed or roundecl at both ends, and
\\-it11 narrotvly winged petiole.
An evergreen small tree becoming 20-30 feet
tall and 6-10 inches or more in trl~nk diameter,
~ritll rounded cron-XI. The bark is brown ancl finely
fissured, the inner bark yello\\-is11 and slightly bitter.
Tlle light pen angled twigs usually have 1
slender sharp spine 4/s inch long at a node.
The alternate lenves have n green petiole 3/s-3(4
inch long, jointed to the blade. The leaf blade is
21h-6 inches long and 1Yk-31/2 inches wide, the
edges usual1 with many minute rounded teeth,
slightly leat i lery and \\-it11 numerous tiny gland
dots, above dark reen to yellow green and slightly
shiny, and beneat 9 1 dull light green.
Flon-ers are lateral, 1-6 at base of a leaf. There
is a greenish-white broad saucer-shaped calyx %
inch high and 5-toothed; usually 5 \vhite elliptic
petals $-7/8 inch long, gland-dotted ancl sliglltly
fleshy, spreading and turned back; 20-25 white
stamens 1, inch long with brown anthers, united
into ring at base; and on whitis11 disk a pistil 5/8
inch long with 10-13-celled yellow-green rounded
ovitry, slender style, and rounded stigma.
The familiar sweetish orange fruit (berry) has
w smooth usually thin peeling less than inch
thick, orange at maturity (but the fruit is some-
times consumed while still green), and solid center
of onnge-colored juicy flesh wllich is sweet or
sometimes slightly sour. Seeds are white and
wrinkled. The navel orange is a variety distin-
fY
uislled by the fruit apex not completely covered
the outer rind but with additional small segments
or cells and usually is seedless. Flowering
in spring and maturing fruits in the fall, but in
some wens the fruits may persist on the trees into
the following May.
Citrus sinens& Osbeck*
The wood is light yellow, hard, strong, and
tongh, and very susceptible to attack by dry-wood
te1m1ite-s. Its uses includes canes and various small
articles, such as manicure sticks.
Tho orange, \vith its high vitamin C content, is
one of the most popular tropical fruits. Quantities
of the sweetish juice are canned in Puerto
ltico for export. The peel yields an essential oil
when pressecl and sometimes is candied. Orange
oil is official in the United States Pharmacopoeia
as a flavoring agent.
Grown extensively as a fruit tree in Puerto Rico,
where it is one of the most important fruits and
also a goocl honey plant. The trees are also ornamental.
Founcl thro~!ghout the island but chiefly
in coffee plantations in the lower Cordillera and
moist limestone regions. Also in Mona, St. Croiu,
and St. Thomas, and probably others of the Virgin
Islands. Occasionally escaping from cultivation
or naturalized.
PUBLIC
Carite, Guaja-
FORESTS.-~~M~~~~C~~,
taca, Gailarte, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio Abajo, Toro
Negro.
&~UNICIPAIIITIES WHERE ESPECIALLY OOBfM0N.-
5,6,8,21,32,47,61,70,73.
RANGE.-Probably originally native of China,
Vietnam, or other southeastern Asiatic regions
but no longer known as truly wild. Widely cultivated
in tropical and subtropical regions, escaping,
and becoming naturalized. Bermuda, throughout
West Indies, and subtropical United States from
Florida to California, south to Argentina.
OTHER COI\IJION NAIIES.--china dulce (Puerto
Rico) ; naranja, naran ja duke (Spanish) ; naranja
cle China (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua)
; nartuijo, naranjo comiin, chino dulce (Venezuela)
; sweet orange, orange (United States, English)
; orange douce (French) ; sinamppels
(Dutch \Vest Indies).
The scietit~ifiic name and apparently also the
Puerto Rican common name refer to the country
of origin. Formerly known as Citrus aurantium
L., a name now restricted to the sour orange.