54 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



The kumquat was probably first mentioned in horticul- 

 tural literature by Kaempfer, who gave the following de- 

 scription of it in his Amoenit. Exoticarum, page 801, 1712 : 

 "Mains Limonia fructu pumilo aureo, medulla dulci." 

 Besides, he used the common name, Kin Kan in referring 

 to this fruit. That it was also known to Rumphitis there 

 is little room to doubt. In 1741 he described and illus- 

 trated it in his Flora Amboyn., 1 vol., page 110, tab. 31. 

 In 1784 Thunberg described it under the name, Citrus 

 Japonica,, and since that time it has been repeatedly 

 described by different botanical and horticultural writers. 

 To some of these the fruit was known, to others it was 

 not, and they apparently based their remarks upon the 

 descriptions published by previous writers. It may be 

 interesting to give here a list of scientific names which at 

 different times have been applied to the kumquat. 



Malus Limonia fructu pumilo aureo Kaemp. Amoenit. exotic, 



801. 1712. 



Limonellus Madurensis Rump, Fl. Amboyn. 2:110, t. 31. 1741. 

 Citrus japonica Thunb. Fl. Jap., 292. 1784. 

 Citrus japonica Murr. Linn. 2:697. 1784. 

 Citrus Madurensis Lour. Fl. Cochin China. 467. 1790. 

 Citrus Margarita Lour. 1. c. above. 

 Citrus japonica Wild. Spec. Plant. Linn. 3: 1426. 1803. 

 Acrumen japonicum Gall. Traite du Citrus. 182. 1811. 

 Citrus inermis Roxb. Fl. Ind. 393. 1832. 



The introduction of the kumquat into Europe appears 

 to have been quite recent. Gallesio seems not to have 

 known it. Risso and Poiteau make no mention of it in 

 their exhaustive work, "Histoire et Culture des Grangers." 

 Since none of these writers refer to the kumquats, we are 

 safe in concluding that they were not grown in Europe 

 at the time they wrote. So far as the author has been 

 able to find out, the kumquat was introduced into Europe 

 by Mr. Fortune, a collector for the London Horticultural 



