Citrus Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Citrus

Slices of various citrus fruits
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Subfamily:	Aurantioideae
Genus:	Citrus L.

Important species: Citrus aurantifolia – Key Lime Citrus maxima – Pomelo Citrus medica – Citron Citrus reticulata – Mandarin orange & Tangerine Important hybrids: Citrus x aurantium – Bitter orange Citrus x latifolia – Persian Lime Citrus x limon – Lemon Citrus x limonia – Rangpur Citrus x paradisi – Grapefruit Citrus x sinensis – Sweet Orange
Synonyms
Eremocitrus Microcitrus

Citrus is a group of flowering trees and shrubs. They belong to the rue family, called Rutaceae. These plants grow delicious citrus fruits.

Some well-known citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and limes. These fruits are important crops around the world. Scientists believe citrus fruits first came from places like Australia, New Caledonia, and New Guinea. Other experts think they started in parts of Southeast Asia. This is where many popular types like oranges and lemons first grew. People have been growing citrus fruits for a very long time.

Where Do Citrus Fruits Come From?
- The Journey of Citrus Fruits
- How Citrus Fruits Changed Over Time
How We Use Citrus Fruits
- Cooking and Eating Citrus
- Health Benefits of Citrus
List of Common Citrus Fruits
Images for kids
See also

Where Do Citrus Fruits Come From?

For a long time, people thought citrus plants grew naturally in Asia, Europe, or Florida. But it turns out, many of these ideas were not quite right.

The Journey of Citrus Fruits

The first European oranges, like the bitter orange, came from India. They were brought to Europe around the time of Alexander the Great. The oranges found in Florida were actually brought by Spanish explorers called Conquistadors. Lemons arrived in Europe during the time of ancient Rome.

How Citrus Fruits Changed Over Time

Today's large citrus fruits actually started as small, edible berries. They slowly changed over millions of years. All the common citrus fruits we eat today, like sweet oranges and lemons, were created by crossing different original species. This happened over the last few thousand years.

Citrus fruits are famous for their amazing smell. This comes from special parts in their rind called flavonoids and limonoids. Most citrus fruits are also very juicy. Their juice has a lot of citric acid, which gives them their sharp, tangy taste. Many citrus fruits are grown to be eaten fresh. They are also used to make juice, marmalades, and pickles.

Citrus fruits are also a great source of vitamin C and other helpful plant compounds. The amount of vitamin C in a fruit can depend on its type and how it was grown. Fruits grown organically often have more vitamin C.

How We Use Citrus Fruits

Cooking and Eating Citrus

Wedges of pink grapefruit, lime, and lemon, and a half orange (clockwise from top)

Many citrus fruits are eaten fresh. These include oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, and clementines. You can usually peel them easily and split them into sections. Grapefruit is often cut in half and eaten with a spoon. Orange and grapefruit juices are also very popular drinks for breakfast.

More sour citrus fruits, like lemons and limes, are usually not eaten on their own. However, Meyer lemons can be eaten because they are both sweet and sour. People often make lemonade or limeade by mixing their juice with water and sugar. Lemons and limes are also used to decorate food or in cooked dishes. Their juice is a common ingredient in salad dressings. It is also squeezed over cooked meat or vegetables.

The outer skin of citrus fruits, called the rind, can be very bitter. This is especially true when it's cooked. So, it's often mixed with sugar. The soft inside part of the fruit, called the fruit pulp, can be sweet, tart, or very sour. Marmalade is a spread made from cooked oranges and lemons. It can be quite bitter, but it's usually sweetened to make it taste like jam. Lemon or lime slices are often used to add flavor to water, soft drinks, or other beverages. The colorful outer part of the peel, called zest, is used to add flavor in cooking. The white inner part of the peel, called the pith, is usually avoided because it's bitter.

Health Benefits of Citrus

Oranges were historically very important for their high amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent a disease called scurvy. Scurvy happens when someone doesn't get enough vitamin C. Just 10 milligrams of vitamin C a day can prevent it. Feeling tired is an early sign of scurvy. If not treated, it can lead to bleeding and easy bruising. British sailors on long trips were given citrus fruits to stop them from getting scurvy. This is why British sailors were sometimes called "Limeys."

Citrus fruits also contain something called Pectin. Pectin is a natural substance found in plant cell walls. Limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits have a lot of pectin. Lemons have the most citrate, which is another helpful compound, compared to other citrus fruits.

List of Common Citrus Fruits

Citrus aurantifolia in Kerala

Images for kids

Map of inferred original wild ranges of the main Citrus cultivars, and selected relevant wild taxa
Slices of various citrus fruits
Lemons are a citrus fruit native to Asia, but now common worldwide.
Limes in a grocery store
Mediterranean Mandarin (Citrus ×deliciosa plantation, Son Carrió (Mallorca)
Leaf of Citrus tree
Orangery of the Botanical Garden in Leuven (Belgium)
Citrus canker is caused by the Xanthomonas axonopodis bacteria
Grapefruit
Citrons (Citrus medica) for sale in Germany
Red finger Lime (Citrus australasica), a rare delicacy from Australia
Sweetie or oroblanco is a pomelo-grapefruit hybrid.
The etrog, or citron, is central to the ritual of the Jewish Sukkot festival. Many varieties are used for this purpose (including the Yemenite variety pictured).
Clementines (Citrus ×clementina) have thinner skins than oranges.
Mikan (Citrus ×unshiu), also known as satsumas
Sweet oranges (Citrus ×sinensis) are used in many foods. Their ancestors were pomelos and mandarin oranges.
Cross-section of Odichukuthi lime
Odichukuthi fruit
A pompia fruit
Calamansi, a ubiquitous part of traditional dipping sauces and condiments in Philippine cuisine
Ripe bitter oranges (Citrus × aurantium) from Asprovalta