76 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Cistus creticus, Linne". 



Countries on the Mediterranean Sea. This shrub, with C. 

 cyprius (Lam.) furnishes the best ladanum resin. Other 

 species yield a less fragrant product. 



Citrus Aurantium, Linne.* 



The Orange (in the widest sense of the word) . A native of 

 South Asia. A tree of longevity, known to have attained the 

 age of 600 years or more. Any specific differences, to distin- 

 guish C. Aurantium from C. Medica, if they once existed, are 

 obliterated now through hybridisation, at least in the culti- 

 vated forms. In Central India a peculiar variety is under 

 culture, producing two crops a year. The blossoms of Feb- 

 ruary and March yield their ripe fruit in November and 

 December, whereas from the flowers of July mature fruits are 

 obtained in March and April. To prevent exhaustion only 

 alternate fruiting is allowed. As prominent varieties of C. 

 Aurantium may be distinguished : 



Citrus Bergamiiim, Bisso. From the fruit-rind of this variety Ber- 

 gamotte oil is obtained, but also oil from the flowers. The 

 Mellarosa variety furnishes a superior oil and exquisite confitures. 



Citrus Bigaradia, Duhamel. The Bitter Orange. This furnishes 

 from its flowers the Neroli oil, so delicious and costly as a 

 scent. It is stated that orange flowers to the value of 50 

 might be gathered from the plants of an acre within a year. 

 The rind of the fruit is used for candied orange peel. Bitter 

 principle : hesperidin in the rind, limonin in the seed. 



Citrus decumana, Linne. The Shaddock or Pompelmos. The 

 fruit will exceptionally attain a weight of 20 Ibs. The pulp 

 and thick rind can both be used for preserves. 



Citrus dulciSj Volkamer. The Sweet Orange, of which many 

 kinds occur. The St. Michael Orange has been known to bear 

 in the Azores on sheltered places 20,000 fruits on one tree in a 

 year. Neroli oil is obtained from the flowers of this and allied 

 varieties. The oil of orange-peels might be used as a cheap 

 and pleasant one for distilling with it costly odorous substances. 



Citrus nobilis, Loureiro. The Mandarin Orange. The thin peel 

 separates most readily from the del iciously -flavoured sweet 

 pulp. There are large and small fruited Mandarin oranges; 

 the Tangerine variety is one of them. Some varieties are ex- 

 cellent for hedges, and as such are much used in Japan. 

 Burnt earth is valuable as an admixture to soil in orangeries. 



Citrus Australasica, F. v. Mueller. 



Coast forests of extra-tropical East Australia. A shrubby 



