Citrus Plant Genus

English name: Citrus

Sub Title:  Plant Genus

Citrus, genus of plants belonging to the rue family (Rutaceae), and yielding pulpy fruits covered with fairly thick skins. Economically important plants in this group include the lemon (C. ×limon), lime (C. ×aurantiifolia), sweet orange (C. ×sinensis), sour orange (C. ×aurantium), tangerine (C. reticulata), grapefruit (C. ×paradisi), citron (C. medica), and shaddock (C. maxima).

Citrus plants are typically evergreen trees or shrubs with glossy oval-shaped leaves; many species have thorns. The flowers are usually white with five petals and are very fragrant. The fruits are a type of modified berry known as a hesperidium, and the flesh is divided into segments packed with tiny juice-filled vesicles. The peel, or rind, of the fruits is leathery and studded with oil glands.