This genus of the family Rutaceae includes lemon, orange (both sweet and bitter), mandarin (or tangerine), lime and grapefruit in addition to very many other fruits which are pleasant to eat but which are not of great importance commercially.
Through out the world the citrus fruits are appreciated and in many cases form a valuable part of the diet as a source of vitamin C. Those grades which are not suitable for domestic use are generally processed in the growing regions to yield either the juice which may be further processes to give concentrates, or for the essential oil which is obtained from the peels.Citrus Oil
In all citrus fruits the essential oil is contained in numerous, oval, balloon-shape oil sacs or gland situated irregular just below the surface of the colored portion of the peel – the flavedo. The white mesocarp or albedo does not contain any oil sacs but carries the bitter glycoside such as hesperidin in lemons, oranges and tangerines or naringin in grapefruit.
The essential oils are generally mechanically extracted from the peels. It is not only the citrus fruits but also the flowers and leaves of citrus plants which are of considerable value in the compounding of fragrances and to a lesser extent in the formulation of imitation flavors. The essential oil distilled from the leaves is known as oil of petitgrain and that from the flowers, oil of neroli.
The Citrus Fruits
