THE ORANGE FAMILY 



19 



Fig. 16. — Floral 

 diagram of Citrus. 



(cells) under the cover of a thick leathery skin which, in its 



outer part, contains numerous glands of aromatic oil (Plate No. 



630, 3. 4). The sour pulp in which the few 



seeds lie, consists of swollen hairs filled with 



juice. The aromatic skin as well as the sour 



pulp are much prized. 



The fruits grow in the leaf-axils of ever- 

 green shrubs or small trees. Their leaves are 



alternate and elliptical and have serrate edges. 



If you crush them, they smell strongly; for 



they are filled with that volatile oil which 



we have already noticed in the skin of the fruit. Hold a leaf up 



to the light, and you see 

 its whole blade dotted 

 with oil-glands. 



The white and fra- 

 grant flowers consist of 

 a cup- shaped, five- 

 toothed calyx, a corolla 

 with five fleshy petals 

 which soon drop after 

 unfolding, and nu- 

 merous stamens whose 

 broad filaments are 

 joined into various 

 bundles round the pistil 

 (fig. 16). 



From Citrus medica 

 various varieties have 

 been produced by cul- 



ti^^ation: so the Lemon {Citrus medica var. Umonum), the Sweet 



Lime (C. med. var. limetta), and the Sour Lime (C med. var. 



acida). 



Other plants belonging to this family are the Orange {Citrus 



aurantium; Kan. Kittale; Tarn., Mai., San. Naraiigam), the 



Pummelo (C. decumana; Kan. Cakotra, Sakkarekaiiji ; Mai. 



Madhuranarakam), the Bael Tree {Aegle marmelos; Kan. Bela- 



2* 



Fig. 17. — Flowers and leaves of the Orange tree 

 (half size). 



