The Satsuma

The Satsuma (Citrus aurantium x) is a native of southern Japan Citrus (Citrus). She is sweet, almost seedless and little sour citrus fruit. The satsuma is not identical with the mandarin (C. reticulata), though its fruits are in Europe as the seedless "mandarins" acted. The structure is viewed as a hybrid of tangerine and orange and goes back to 1429th Satsuma-trees have of the commercially important citrus fruits, the highest tolerance to low temperatures and relatively mature early without the need for large amounts of heat.

The Satsuma is growing as a small, evergreen tree with irregular, extensive crown. The branches hang over occasionally, they are almost spineless. The leaves are relatively large, shaped, lanceolate, pointed at both ends, with a Träufelspitze. The petiole is long and widened.

The fruit is sweet and usually seedless. It is about the size of a tangerine, so smaller than an orange. The fruit peel can be detached easily. The interior is divided into ten to twelve segments. The juice sacs that fill the segments are short and wide. They contain the orange pulp. Occasional seeds are light green inside.

In Japan they will 蜜柑 Unshu Mikan (Japanese 温州), short Mikan (蜜柑) called Mikan in Japan is also a collective term for citrus. The name could Unshu relate to the historical Chinese province Wenchow, although the Satsuma was previously known only in Japan.

1876, during the Meiji period, was the wife of a member of the U.S. Embassy Mikan from the province of Satsuma on Kyushu brought into the United States. Hence the name in Europe, although the plant is indeed based in Japan, but not specific only in this province. In the U.S. it is called Satsuma Mandarin, Britain Satsuma or Satsuma Tangerine Orange.

The first description of Vasil Vasilevicz Marcowicz as Citrus unshiu was published in 1921. The species status, however, was controversial in part been seen as the Satsuma variety or cultivar of mandarin (Citrus reticulata). This resulted in some synonyms as a variety, such as Citrus nobilis var unshiu Swingle, Citrus reticulata Blanco var unshiu or as a variety unshiu Citrus reticulata ''. Recent genetic investigations show the Satsuma as a hybrid between the mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and orange (Citrus x aurantium). Since the orange one intersection - is of tangerine and grapefruit - has the Satsuma than than the original species tangerine and grapefruit ancestors. Intersections of tangerine and grapefruit get the scientific name Citrus aurantium ×. As from this cross, however, many different, with different colloquial names occupied plants have emerged, for better recognition of the additional Citrus aurantium × Satsuma-group can be used.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_(Frucht)
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