300 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES ORANGE 



native of the South of Europe and Western Asia, growing in 

 desert places. It is supposed to be the plant spoken of in the 

 book of Job as " Mallows." 



A. 2^ortulacoides is a shrubby species similar to the last, 

 and abundant on the southern coasts of this country. It is 

 mucilaginous, of the nature of spinach. 



Orange {Citrus Aurantium), a low, much-branched tree of 

 the Orange family (Aurantiacese), found wild in Western and 

 Upper India, and early cultivated in Persia, from thence intro- 

 duced to the countries of the Mediterranean and to Italy about 

 the ninth century. Like other plants long cultivated by man, 

 many varieties have sprung up, such as the Blood, or Malta 

 Orange, which has a red rind and flesh. The Mandarin is also a 

 small, rather flat fruit, which when ripe readily separates from 

 the skin. It is very rich and sweet, and is extensively grown 

 and highly prized in China. The Bergamot is a small Orange, 

 from which an essence is obtained called Bergamot Oil. It is 

 largely made in Sicily. Besides the sweet varieties of the com- 

 mon Orange, there is a kind called the Bitter or Seville Orange ; 

 this is largely employed for making marmalade, candied orange 

 peel, and a bitter tincture. From the Sweet Orange wine is 

 made. The Orange tree is largely cultivated in most countries 

 on both sides of the Mediterranean, and its fruit forms an exten- 

 sive article of commerce. Oranges come to this country princi- 

 pally from ports in the Mediterranean, Spain, Portugal, and the 

 Azores, those of St. ^Michael's being of a very fine quality. The 

 total quantity of oranges and lemons imported into tliis country 

 from all ports in 1880 amounted to 3,676,249 bushels, value 

 £1,469,124. The Oranges for export have to be gathered 

 before they are perfectly ripe, and on that account their true 

 flavour is not known to those who eat them in this country. 

 In France and other parts Orange trees are much cultivated for 

 the sake of their flowers, from which is distilled Orange flower 

 water. The Orange tree attains a great age, those in the 

 groves in some parts of Spain being more than 600 years old, 

 some individual trees having been known to produce 6000 fruits 



