80 DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



southern Spaiu, Sicily, northern Africa, Australia, Brazil, West India Islands, 

 Florida and southern California, and the Azores Islands are the chief grow- 

 ing regions. 



Etymology.— The generic name. Citrus, is derived by some from Kirpiov, 

 supposed to be a corruption of Kihpos, a cedar-tree, because the orange, like 

 the cedar, is evergreen. This is a very improbable etymology. 



It is held by others that the name is due to the city of Citron in Judea. 

 The specific name, aurantium, arises naturally from its golden color, the 

 Golden Citrus. The common name, orange, is a corruption of the Latin 

 word aureum, golden. The ancient Romans were not acquainted with the 

 orange. 



History. — The date of its introduction into Europe is not known with cer- 

 tainty, but it is believed that it came to Spain with the Moors. It was taken 

 into Portugal early in the sixteenth century. Sir Walter Raleigh, who lived in 

 the latter part of the same century, has the credit of introducing the orange 

 into England, in the southern part of which, with careful protection, it flowers, 

 but does not mature fruit. One account of the introduction of the orange 

 into Europe makes it due to the Crusades, which occurred during the twelfth 

 and thirteenth centuries. 



The home of the orange has been a subject of considerable research. 

 One account makes* it a native of India, and states that it was carried from 

 southern India to Syria and the countries of the Levant by Alexander the 

 Great on his return from the invasion of that country, and that it was thence 

 taken into Europe during the period of the Crusades. 



It requires no great stretch of the imagination to picture the foot-sore, fam- 

 ished pilgrim reposing in the shade of the orange-tree, while he cools liis 

 parched tongue with its golden fruit, whose enchanting beauty is as startling 

 to his astonished vision as the fragrant fluids of its juicy pulp are delightful 

 to his palate. 



Gallesio maintains that the orange was not among the fruits mentioned by 

 Nearchus as seen by Alexander in his invasion of India, and hence infers that 

 it could not at that time have been known in the countries through which he 

 passed. It has been stated as probable that the Arabs carried it from India 

 (where they found it east of the Ganges) to southwestern Asia and north- 

 eastern Africa, whence it has emigrated with civilized man into all countries 

 where the climate favors its growth. 



A. De Candolle believes its origin to have been in China, and thinks the 

 bitter orange of central Asia may be the ancestral stock, and the sweet orange 

 the offspring, having been obtained from seed in China and Cochin-China. 



The orange-tree attains a great age. It has been known to reach the age of 

 600 to 700 years. In Cordova, the ancient Moorish capital, the broad avenues 

 are skirted by old orange trees 30 feet high, whose heads are frequently 30 

 to 40 feet in diameter. The larger trees bear fi-om 12,000 to 16,000 oranges 

 in a single crop, and the fruit of the current year is frequently mingled with 

 the flowers for the following crop. 



Use and Products. — The orange is a favorite dessert, but is not preserved 

 to any great extent. It is recommended by medical men as a stomachic, 

 taken before breakfast. The bitter orange is very largely used for marmalade 

 (from its rind), to flavor sauces for puddings, etc. 



The wood of the orange-tree is close-grained and takes a fine polish, and is 

 used by turners and wood engravers. The stems of young trees when about 

 an inch in diameter are highly prized for walking-sticks. 



