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Characteristics:

• Citrus reticulata is a moderate-sized tree some 7.6 metres (25 ft) in height. The tree trunk and major branches have thorns.
• The leaves are shiny, green, and rather small.
• The flowers are borne singly or in small groups in the leaf-axils. Citrus are usually self-fertile (needing only a bee to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless, such as the satsuma).
• A mature mandarin tree can yield up to 79 kilograms (175 lb) of fruit.
• Mandarin orange fruits are small 40–80 millimetres (1.6–3.1 in). Their colour is orange, orange-yellow, or orange-red. The skin is thin and peels off easily. Their easiness to peel is an important advantage of mandarin oranges over other citrus fruits. Just like with other citrus fruits, the endocarp (inner flesh) is separated into segments, which in their turn consist of a large number of elongated cells.
• The fruits may be seedless or contain a small number of seeds.
• Mandarin orange fruits are sweet to taste, and can be eaten as whole or squeezed to make juice.

Habitat:

• The mandarin is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas; however, some varieties can tolerate temperatures as low as -11°C.

Parts Used:

• Fruit, peeled and eaten fresh; skin, fresh or dried

Collection and Harvesting:

• Harvest the oranges when ripe. Care must be taken when picking mandarin fruit or the rind will tear around the stem; clip stems with pruning shears is the best harvest practice.

Constituents:

• Mandarin essential oil contains limonene(69.15%), γ‒terpinene(12.66%),nerol (5.65%), α‒pinene (2.84%), β-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, terpinolene, linalool, neryl acetate, geranyl acetate, caryophyllene, neral, α-farnesene, δ-cadinene, geraniol, thujene, α-phellandrene, β-phellandrene, α-terpineol, citronellal, citronellol, camphene, and geranial, among others.
• Mandarin peel contains polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs),the most common of which are tangeretin and nobiletin.
• Other flavenoids found in mandarin peel are narirutin, hesperidin, didymin, poncirin, sinensetin. Peel also contains the phenolic acids P-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid, and gallic acid.
• Mandarian oranges are a good source of vitamin C.
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Actions:

• The fruit is antiemetic, aphrodisiac, astringent, laxative and tonic.
• The flowers are stimulant.
• The pericarp (consisting of the entire orange excluding seeds) is analgesic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, antiscorbutic, antiseptic, antitussive, carminative, expectorant, and stomachic.
• The endocarp (consisting of the juicy fruit segments) is carminative and expectorant.
• The unripened green exocarp (outer peel) is carminative and stomachic.
• The seed is analgesic and carminative.
• PMFs can lower cholesterol, and may be linked to many of the health benefits of citrus fruits, including protection against cancer, heart disease and inflammation.
• Citrus fruits are high in secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, limonoids, and coumarins, which are associated with a reduced risk of cancer, including gastric cancer, breast cancer, lung tumorigenesis, colonic tumorigenesis, hepatocarcinogenesis, and hematopoietic malignancies, etc.
• The Citrus flavanones hesperidin, hesperetin, and neohesperidin have neuroprotective activity, and could be of benefit for improving the cognition of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
• An ethanol extract of Citrus reticulata inhibited five clinical strains of Helicobacter pylori.

Indications:

• Traditional Chinese medicinal uses of mandarins:
  • The whole orange is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, gastro-intestinal distension, cough with profuse phlegm, hiccup and vomiting.
  • The fruit segments are used in the treatment of dyspepsia, gastro-intestinal distension, coughs and profuse phlegm.
  • The green peel is used in the treatment of pain in the chest and hypochondrium, gastro-intestinal distension, swelling of the liver and spleen and cirrhosis of the liver.
  • The seed is used in the treatment of hernia, lumbago, mastitis and pain or swellings of the testes.

Combinations:

• Decoctions of mandarin peel and licorice root is 70% effective within a few days for treatment of mastitis when treatment began in early stages of the disease.

Preparation and Dosage:

• Dried powder: three to nine grams per day
• Dried peel: one to two teaspoons per day
• Whole fruit: one or more per day while in season, including the juice and the white rind

Contraindications:

• Caution against excessive use of mandarin products during tamoxifen therapy.

Drug Interactions:

• Tangeritin (not mandarins per se) may block the cancer-inhibiting action of tamoxifen.

History and Origin:

• Mandarins are one of the core ancestral citrus taxa, and are thought to have evolved in regions including South China and Japan in East Asia, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
• Mandarins appear to have been domesticated at least twice, in the north and south Nanling Mountains. Wild mandarins are still found there, including Daoxian mandarines (sometimes given the species name Citrus daoxianensis) as well as some members of the group traditionally called 'Mangshan wild mandarins', a generic grouping for the wild mandarin-like fruit of the Mangshan area that includes both true mandarins and the genetically-distinct and only distantly-related Mangshanyegan.
• During Chinese New Year, mandarin oranges/tangerine/satsumas are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. During the two-week celebration, they are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates.
• Mandarin oranges, particularly from Japan, are a Christmas tradition in Canada, the United States and Russia.

Ethnobotany:

• The peel is used fresh, whole or zested, or dried as chenpi. It can be used as a spice for cooking, baking, drinks, or candy.
• Essential oil from the fresh peel may be used as a flavouring for candy, in gelatins, ice cream, chewing gum, and baked goods. It is also used as a flavouring in liqueurs.
• In Chinese cuisine, the peel of the mandarin orange, called chenpi, is used to flavor sweet dishes and sauces.
• In traditional Chinese medicine, the dried peel of the fruit is used in regulation of ch'i and to enhance digestion.

Growing Information:

• Citrus reticulata 'Owari' is a satsuma mandarin orange that is hardy outdoors in coastal BC.
• It produces excellent crops of sweet, juicy, seedless fruit.
• The 'Owari' satsuma is hardy to about -11°C or zone 8a, the colder end of zone 8. It is best planted in a warm, protected location in the garden against a south-facing wall or fence. A warm, sunny east- or west-facing location might also do. It is also best protected from the rain by the overhang of the house or from constructing a winter roof for it.
• It thrives in cooler summer locations with partial to full sun.
• Plant mandarins in compost-rich, loamy soil that is well-drained. They need regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat - but do not like to be overwatered.
• The 'Owari' satsuma is a slow-growing citrus well suited for small yards or patios. It has a maximum height of 12 feet, with a width that is comparable to its height. Since the "Owari" has a low-spreading nature compared, it is easier to access the fruit for harvesting.
• The fruit ripens from early fall to winter.

Personal Impressions and Experiences:

Historical Botanical Illustrations:

Guillot, Revue horticole, serié 4, (1852-1974)