Sweet Orange 



579 



ous oil-glands; stamens 20 to 25, their filaments united into several groups; ovary 

 6- to 14-celled. The fruit is globose, its 

 rind quite reddish, slightly rough with a 

 great profusion of oil-glands, the whitish 

 internal portion spongy and very bitter; 

 flesh acid and bitter; seeds rather small, 

 flattened and somewhat cone-shaped, lon- 

 gitudinally ridged. 



The Bitter orange is a native of south- 

 eastern Asia. The fruits of some sorts 

 are eaten, and made into preserves. The 

 juice is used, as is that of the Lemon, to 

 form a refreshing drink called orangeade. 

 The dried rind is largely used in medicine 

 for its bitter tonic properties and to im- 

 part its flavor to preparations of other 

 drugs; the dried young fruit, under the 



Fig. 533. Bitter Orange. 



name of Orange berries, is similarly used. 



The volatile oil obtained from the flowers 



is a popular flavor and basis for perfume; it is known as oil of neroli, while the 



volatile oil, preferably obtained by mechanical methods from the rind of this 



fruit, is considered superior to that similarly derived from the Sweet orange. 



The seedlings of this species are a favorite stock upon which to graft the im- 

 proved varieties of other Citrus fruits. 



2. SWEET ORANGE Citrus Aurantium Linnaeus 



This, one of the most popular of all 

 fruits, is widely cultivated in all tropical 

 countries and has become spontaneous in 

 peninsular Florida and in other (}ulf States 

 and perhaps in California; it is the largest 

 of our species, often attaining a height of 

 12 meters. 



The branches form a compact, broad 

 head, and bear but few thorns. The bark 

 is thin, rather smooth and grayish brown. 

 The leaves have narrow-margined leaf- 

 stalks about 2.5 cm. long; their blades are 

 oval to ovate-oblong, 7.5 to 10 cm. long, 

 sharp-pointed, rounded at the base, usually 

 entire on the margin, dark green and shin- 

 FiG. 534. Sweet Orange. ing above, paler beneath. The flowers are 



