Citrus are favorite fruit trees
and their essential oils perform in many formulas, therapeutics and blends —
they are widely grown and healing to mind and body.
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Antique Postcard
CITRUS & ODD CITRUS
Written and Collected by Jeanne
Rose – Sept. 2019
INTRODUCTION ~ There are many types of citrus that are grown all over the world. Many are very familiar and during this past year, since January 2019, I have covered all the major essential oil citrus plants, (January – Bergamot; February – Grapefruit; March – Lemon; April – Lime; May – Mandarin/tangerine; June – Neroli/Bitter Orange; July – Orange/Blood Orange; August – Petitgrain), I have missed others such as Pomelo from Vietnam, Buddha Hand, Lemonade tree, Yuzu, Kumquat and probably others. These latter do not have a strong presence in the essential oil industry. But it is time to give them a paragraph or two.
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CITRUS FAMILY ~ RUTACEAE The citrus are in the family Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family of flowering plants. Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents. They range in form and size from herbs to shrubs and large trees.
CITRUS FAMILY TIES ~ The parents of each of the types of citrus can be very confusing and if you want to have a fine time scrambling your brains look at the incestuous crosses, back crossing, mutations, aberrations, speciation events, hybrids, genetic mixings, varieties, groups or outgroups, rootstock changes and terroir effects of the many Citrus types to understand the various citrus fruits, we have now. For example, Bergamot parentage is 3rd generation from the original citrus species with Lemon and Bitter Orange as the male and female parent but each of those are also 2nd generation. The Grapefruit group of citrus originates from a back cross of C. paradisi with a female of C. maxima (Pomelo) and a more up-to-date Latin binomial is Citrus x aurantium. The parents of the ‘Mexican Lime are C. micrantha and C. medica and then the Mexican Lime crossed with Lemon gives the ‘Tahiti’ Lime (C. x latifolia). Neroli, Citrus x aurantium L, also called C. amara, C. aurantium ssp. Amara. It Is a cross between Citron and of C. reticulata (Mandarin) + C. maxima (Pomelo) as the female parent. Mandarin can be called Citrus reticulata var. mandarina and Tangerine can be called Citrus reticulata var. tangerina. Mandarin has also been called var. deliciosa and of course it has other names as well.
The
‘x’ in the middle of any Latin binomial simply means that the plant is a
cross, probably infertile as well, and
in the case of ‘Bitter Orange’, several types of Citrus were crossed to obtain
this plant. There are many backcrosses
in this group of Bitter Orange/Neroli.
There is a naming problem in citrus, and it
is complicated by the number of edible citrus that are recognized plus the many
crosses, back-crosses, rootstock clones,
hybrids, species, subspecies and varieties. “The taxonomy of the citrus fruits is complicated by hybridity and
apomixis (asexual reproduction
in plants), with many stable
hybrid lines being accorded species status, so that the number of edible species
recognized in the genus Citrus L. … varies from 1 to 162”.1 Anywhere from 12 up to 162
different ones are accorded subspecies or varietal names.
Some Citrus Parentage
Citrus Family Ties ~https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrus_hybrids.svg
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CITRUS COUNTRIES OF ORIGINS AND HISTORY ~ There is a wide range of study of where and how the diverse group of Citrus developed or are indigenous. They are now naturalized worldwide. For instance, Guenther mentions that Lime is probably a native of the East Indian Archipelago and then brought to the Asiatic mainland and on to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Lime was brought to Europe by the Arabs. Citron, with a primary lineage, was called ‘the fruit of Persia’ and in 327 BC, Alexander the Great defeated this area and the Greeks found Citron there under cultivation. For more extensive information on country of origin of citrus, read volume 3, of The Essential Oils by Guenther OR “Citrus edited by Giovanni Dugo and Angelo Giacomo, 2002”.
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CITRUS ENDANGERED OR NOT ~ There are so many kinds of citrus in so many parts of the world that at this time the citrus fruits, juices, cold-pressed peel oil and EO are not endangered.
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CITRUS GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PLANT HABITAT AND GROWTH ~ Citrus is grown in tropical and subtropical
areas, including various southern areas in the southern USA. They are found in
sunny, warm areas throughout the world. The tree is a small evergreen
tree, somewhat cold-hardy and tolerant of drought.
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CITRUS. Portion of plant used in distillation, how distilled,
extraction methods and yields ~ The leaf, flower, peel of various citrus are either cold-pressed (CP) or
steam-distilled (SD) depending on the type of scent you wish. Lime peel and other citrus peels is not phototoxic
when SD but is when CP. Yields are listed in the original articles on this
blog.
Citrus Decorative Slice
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CITRUS CHEMISTRY
Here is
probably where you want to review volume III of Guenther’s The Essential
Oils because here is where you will find 359 pages discussing each of the
citrus oils and the equipment used to cold-press or steam-distill them as well
as their production, and various areas where these citrus oils are grown and
individual articles on chemistry and background.
THE STORY OF LIMONENE ~ Chemical
Components ~ Limonene
Limonene Story was edited by Hubert Marceau who
is at www.phytochemia.com
“Limonene, a
compound of the terpene family, is present in the distilled essential oil and
in the cold-pressed oil of citrus peel [NOTE: if you are talking about the seed
oils, that is something else.] But limonene is present in the cold pressed oil
from the rind and in the distilled essential oil.”
There
are two isomers of limonene. Each have at least 30 different names. They are
most easily identified by the R or S type. 4(R)-limonene
) (+)-Limonene) and 4(S)-limonene. Alternative prefixes to label optical
isomers include ‘ d ’ and ‘l’ and more commonly the symbols + and – are used.
“The
limonene structure has a chiral center, and thus it can be found in nature as
one of the two enantiomers mentioned above, the (R)- and (S)-limonene. The R
isomer has the characteristic sweet smell of oranges while the S isomer has a
more smell like a piney turpentine.”
D-limonene ((+)-limonene), which is the (R)-enantiomer d-limonene is (+)-Limonene and D-LIMONENE is a colorless, clear, mobile liquid with a pleasant sweet odor as in mandarin & orange. There is the L-LIMONENE, (-)-Limonene, S)-(−)-Limonene or sinistral or left enantiomer. Lime and lemon is (S)- smells like the sour of lemons.
Limonene Right and Left
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Contraindications
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CITRUS VARIETIES NOT YET DISCUSSED
BUDDHA
HAND CITRUS ~ C.
medica var. sarcodactylus. The
fingered Buddha’s hand, is a bizarre
looking citrus, an elongated fruit about 6 inches long with many vertical
indentations on the peel that make this yellow-colored fruit look like a hand.
It has a thick peel used to flavor
distillates, liquors or the peel is candied and used in cooking and in various
baked goods. It is wonderful infused in vodka to make a delicious base for a
cocktail. This citrus can also be chopped and infused in neutral grape or
orange spirits (https://organicalcohol.com/) and used as a citrus fixative in perfumery or in
citrus accords or as a diluent for fine perfumes. The fruit is also used fresh
or dried in clothing closets to fragrance clothing or stored items. (if used
fresh it must be removed after a week or two or it will mold).
This fruit is mostly peel and is candied and eaten or used to flavor vodka and
other high alcohol beverages.
It is an ornamental tree in the garden,
the fruit contains no pulp and no juice, and the zest is used in desserts, or
candied as a sweet. Possession of the fruit or a
tree “is believed to bring good health and to symbolize wealth. The Chinese
character for “hand” (shou) sounds like that for “longevity” and so the
two are associated. In resembling the classic prayer position of Buddha’s hand,
the long fruit fingers connote Buddhism.”.
Buddha Hand Citrus – June 2019
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CITRON
or ETROG ~ Citrus
medica, one of the five pure citrus species,
male parent with female Bitter Orange to produce the Lemon, is also called ‘Etrog,’ or cedrat and used on certain Jewish holidays. There are also
specific names based on its various shapes. An etrog
is a citron that looks mostly like a misshapen lemon but smells delicious; it is a
fragrant citrus fruit, consists of a dry pulp and only a small quantity of
juice. The branches and fruit are waved
each day on Sukkot, except on Shabbat, in a specific manner for a variety of
reasons. I do not know much about the Citron except that it is important on
Jewish holidays and based from ancient studies, the citron was used
mainly for medicinal purposes. It was greatly used to fight seasickness,
intestinal problems, pulmonary illnesses, and other illness.
I use the Citron by
taking the most fragrant part of the outer peel (flavedo or exocarp) and
removing any unscented part of the albedo (white part), place in jar and cover
with 95% neutral grape spirits. I
imagine you could also use the 95% neutral orange spirits for a stronger odor.
After a few weeks, I strain out the alcohol and either add more peel or just
label the container and use it as part of the diluent of a perfume.
Etrog photo by Jeanne Rose March 2019
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KUMQUAT
~ Citrus japonica. This is a small fruit-bearing tree with a small
large olive-shaped fruit that can be eaten when ripe, peel and all. They are
native to south Asia and were introduced to Europe about 1846 by Robert Fortune.
The originally given Latin name was Fortunella japonica. I am not familiar
with the essential oil, but Wikipedia says, “The essential oil of the kumquat peel contains much of
the aroma of the fruit and is composed principally of limonene which makes up
around 93% of the total. Besides
limonene and alpha-pinene (0.34%), both of which are
considered monoterpenes, the oil is unusually rich (0.38% total)
in sesquiterpenes such as a-bergamotene (0.21%), caryophyllene
0.18%), (bergamotene α-humulene (0.07%)
and α-muurolene (0.06%), and these contribute to the spicy and woody
flavor of the fruit.”
Kumquats
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LEMONADE TREE ~ The
correct name is Citrus
x limon unless it is
a Mandarin or tangerine and then would be Citrus reticulata. Of course,
it also could be (Citrus limon x reticulata) and this is a cross between
a lemon tree and a mandarin tree that was developed in Australia but was first
found in New Zealand in the 1980s. The fruit is sweet like a Mandarin but with
a citrusy lemon bite like a Lemon. You can pick and eat the fruit off the tree
like an Orange.
Lemonade Tree – photo courtesy of Cheryl Brighton Smith
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LIMETTA ~ Citrus limetta, alternatively considered to be a cultivar of Citrus limon, C. limon ‘Limetta’, is a species of citrus, commonly known as mousambi, musambi, sweet lime, sweet lemon, and sweet limetta, it is a member of the sweet lemons.5 It is a cross between the citron and a bitter Orange. In France, this variety is known as ‘a Mamelon’ that describes the nipple shape of the end of the fruit. The juice and peel are both used. A sweet lemon is not an oxymoron. Neither is it a new fancy hybrid. Persian limu shirin, Citrus limetta, is one of the oldest cultivated varieties of lemons and it tastes sweet like honey, with no hint of acidity. “The first time I bit into a slice was a shock, because I was prepared for tartness and instead my mouth was filled with sweetness. Even more beautiful was the scent of the peel that lingered on my fingers. It also smelled like no lemon I had tried before.” This is a lovely quote from January 28, 2019 by Victoria, “…The best way to enjoy sweet lemons is to make a glass of juice and drink it over ice. No sugar or any other flavorings are needed. The juice has the interesting property of turning pleasantly bitter as it oxidizes, becoming reminiscent of sweetened grapefruit juice. In France, this variety is known as ‘a Mamelon’ that aptly describes the shape of the end of the fruit. Juice & peel used ….” —January 28,2019, Essays on Flavor and Fragrance, Food & Fragrance, Perfume 101.
Limetta fruit
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POMELO ~ Citrus
maxima or pamplemousse. This is another large original form of citrus that is eaten and
in Vietnam, the peel is steam-distilled for the oil. When I wrote the blogpost
on Grapefruit in February 2019, I only briefly mentioned the Pomelo. I was written too by (Yen Ta) and she
mentioned that I had not said much about Pomelo. I knew of it and had seen the fruit in the
market but had never experienced the oil. In August, I received this bottle of steam
distilled EO from Vietnam via Yen Ta and am now able to discuss it. Pomelo peel
SD is colorless, clear, non-viscous, of low intensity, and bitter aromatic
taste. Its odor is very mildly citrus,
with herbaceous afternotes. I have used
it in a citrus accord as well as making some bases with it for perfumery
purposes.
Pomelo rind is used to control coughs and as an expectorant. Pomelo peel
extract has also been studied in mice to prevent high-fat diet-induced
metabolic disorders. Since it is related to Grapefruit as one of Grapefruits
primary parents, it shares common
furanocoumarins (because of the potential for furanocoumarins to
increase the bloodstream concentration of a drug to higher than expected, it
can lead to unfortunate consequences), and thus should
not be taken with heart medications. Steam-distilled Pomelo peel when used
externally does not cause sun toxicity.
White fleshed Pomelo is
milder in acidity than the red-fleshed. Pomelo when analyzed by GCMS has been
found to contain up to 62% d-limonene, anethol to 9.5% and nootketone to 5.6%. Supercritical
CO2 extraction has been done on Pomelo flower and analyzed and
Pomelo CO2 can be used in
perfumery and other uses now being examined.
Pomelo fruit and the essential oil
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YUZU ~ Citrus junos Sieb ex Tanaka – it is well-known and very popular in Japan and Korea and has been in use for about 1000 years. It is used in the cuisine of Japan and in cosmetics. I have had the opportunity to taste it here (San Francisco) at various restaurants in salad dressings and in desserts. However, for people taking certain medications, one should limit their ingestion of this food.
There are many cultivars of this plant and the essential oils from the peel have been examined for at least six of the cultivars. These are acidic citrus from China that are often grown as (strong, resistant) rootstock for other citrus varieties and for its fruit. The fruits are acidic and moderately juicy with a very pleasant citrus aroma and can be used as a lemon substitute. The peel is strongly citrus and pleasantly scented and makes a good addition to blends and in perfumery. If making a Citrus scent, adding 5% of Yuzu to a base note increases the sweet-tart scent of the entire perfume. The scent is very refreshing.
Yuzu – December 2008 – Yuzu oil courtesy of Eden Botanicals
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CITRUS OIL – ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS
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ODOR
DESCRIPTION/
AROMA ASSESSMENT ~ Citrus Notes ~
Citrus oils are used in the perfumery business to impart a fresh, sparkling
note to any blend. They are usually not
overpowering. They can be used in up to
25% as the base scent for classic type of eau de cologne. Citrus oils harmonize with many other essential
oils and they are used in different concentrations in almost all scent blends
and modern perfumes. >In combination with Lavender oil, citrus
oils are the base for English Lavender which
is an 1826 creation. High
concentrations of citrus oils are in Chanel No. 5 (1921). Also, of importance are the citrus oils in
pop drinks like Coca-Cola and others.
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GENERAL PROPERTIES
Properties and Uses~ Some of the citrus oils are relaxing and most are very enlivening. They
are calming but do not cause lethargy or fatigue. In general, these oils are
slightly antiseptic, ease gut spasm (antispasmodic), can be slight diuretics,
purifying (depurative), ease stomach aches, cholagogue (promotes the discharge
of bile); and when inhaled can be calming but not exhausting; and in skin care
or by external application in products have antiseptic properties.
Physical Uses & How Used ~ Application (AP) – Citrus oils go nicely into many blends that are used for skincare. It would be a top note or heart note to other aromatic oils in natural perfumery and blends well with many. In lotions and creams, they have a slight antiseptic quality as well as the aromatic livening scent.
Ingestion (IG) – Do not drink the essential oils. Drink the juice instead or dry and keep the peels for your bath and potpourri.Inhalation (IN) – Citrus oils are generally relaxing but not tiring by inhalation , especially when mixed with some of your other favorites such as Lavender, Spikenard, Jasmine, and many more.
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SKIN CARE FORMULAS are available in my 350-page Herbal Body Book that is chock-full of great skin, hair,
and body care formulas. Here is one I have always enjoyed. They can add nuance to any blend or perfume.
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A CITRUS MASK BY JEANNE ROSE
The
San Clemente Citrus Mask. Peel a
small orange, a small Lemon, or other citrus, and mash the pulp, or else put
the pulp into a blender and blend. Add enough yellow Corneal to make gritty.
Apply to your clean slightly moistened face or body. Let the mask stay for a
few minutes. If you have collected the
juices separately, add them to steaming water and steam your face for a minute.
Roll of the gritty citrus meal with your
fingers for a gentle exfoliation. Rinse off the mask with tepid water or
take a shower and rinse off the mask or use the gritty Citrus/Cornmeal as a
scrub to also exfoliate your legs and arms. Dry and apply a citrus hydrosol
spray to finish.
There are many ways to use this mask and it will leave your skin very fresh and clean. Use it when you are fatigued and to prevent aging. The San Clemente Mask reminded my husband of hot supermarkets and parking lots; so, when your feet are hot and your eyeballs feel like they are falling out of your face from the heat, apply the San Clemente Orange and you will feel better. [see p. 190 of for more].
The San Clemente Mask reminded my husband of hot supermarkets and parking lots; so, when your feet are hot and your eyeballs feel like they are falling out of your face from the heat, apply the San Clemente Orange and you will feel better . [see p. 190 of 350-page for more]
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Diffuse/Diffusion ~ You can pretty much mix and match your citrus oils any way you wish with
other Mediterranean type oils or florals.
Pick the effect and choose your oil.
Look at the citrus blogposts already posted for many uses and blends. I
have already written about Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin,
Tangerine, Orange, Bitter Orange, Neroli and Petitgrain.
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Emotional/Energetic Uses (AP or
IN) ~ Inhale the citrus oils to combat apathy, to stimulate appetite, to
increase creativity, to improve mood, to give joy, to refresh your life.
Remember them when you are depressed, exhausted and need emotional
healing. All the citrus oils have a
joyful sunny quality to them.
∞
FORMULA for Physical Use by Inhalation ~ Get your oils and using Lavender, Lemon, and YlangYlang, it was found that this aromatherapy oil combination is effective in lowering systolic blood pressure and sympathetic nerve system activity. The blend was 2-2-1 and you can read about it here. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21157172
Ylang flowers and essential oils of Lemon, Lavender and Ylang courtesy of Eden Botanicals.
∞
BLENDING & PERFUMERY ~
Blending with citrus oils
is very easy. It is almost impossible to make a mistake. Know what you want to
do, pick the correct citrus for the effect and then make a few samples to scent
and try. Mix with Rosemary, Vetivert, Cloves, Caraway; or herbs, roots, flower
buds and seeds. Use the charts in Chapter 1 of and The
Aromatherapy Book, Applications & Inhalations to make your selection of the oil and the
application.
EAU
DE COLOGNE
The best is made with a variety of citrus
scents with added Rosemary. There are many ways to make this cologne. George W.
Askinson, Dr. of Chem. in 1865, said, “Cologne water of the most superior
and incomparable quality is made by dissolving the essential oils in the
alcohols and then distilling it, then adding the Rosemary and Neroli to the
distillate. Dissolve the aromatics in 95% neutral grape spirits — distill — add
the Neroli and the Rosemary.” Effect
the dilution required with Orange flower water or Rose water. Ultimately, Eau de cologne is 75% fragrant alcohol and 25%
water or flower water.
Here is one
recipe, and Orange spirits can be substituted at the end for some of the Grape
spirits. You can adjust the ingredients up and down as you see fit.
1 quart (85-95%) Grape spirits (substitute some orange Spirits for some of the grape)4 ml Orange peel CP2 ml Bergamot peel CP½ ml Bitter Orange CP½ ml Neroli petal EO2 ml Rosemary EO You can also make it of Corn spirit which has a distinct aroma difference from the grape spirit. I use OrganicAlcohol.com
4 kinds of 95% neutral spirits for perfumery or tincture
The
difference between eau de Cologne made in France or made in England is the
difference in the spirit used and results in a completely different odor. Fine
perfumes should only be made with freshly distilled 70-95% neutral grape
spirits.
All the older perfumes were diluted
down with neutral grape spirits. Originally, they were considered medicines and
were taken internally by the drop. After the introduction of synthetics, around
1850, perfumes were made with chemicalized ingredients and were no longer
edible. However, even today certain
uplifting ‘spirits’ are sold in Europe as a tonic against seasickness,
carsickness and all sorts of nausea.
“The original eau de cologne was invented in 1709 by a man named Farina who was homesick for his home country of Italy. He described the scent and said it reminded him of a spring morning with mountain daffodils and the orange blossoms after a rain.” 7
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HYDROSOL ~ I truly love all of the citrus
hydrosols. I use them for everything. I found that a well-distilled Lemon peel
hydrosol was great for itchy eyes as a wash. I have used Neroli hydrosol as a
perfume, Orange hydrosol to spray my house at Christmas and so many other uses.
Read the individual blogposts for using the citrus hydrosol. My favorite places
to purchase citrus hydrosols is from people who live where the citrus grow and
that includes LancasterCreations.com as they are an organic apothecary and
community in the growing heart of California and near the ancient Sequoias of
the Sierras.
Yuzu Hydrosol by Positively Aromatic – EO
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CITRUS LEAF DISTILLATE TOMATO TALE
In September 2019, the citrus
leaves arrived. I opened them, examined the leaves and noticed they were
covered with dust; the leaves were absolutely covered with whatever comes out
of the sky. So, I carefully washed and cleaned every one of them by hand. Then
had a good whiff and enjoyed the odor. If you want Petitgrain hydrosol you will
have to get leaves ONLY from an area that is out of the pollution and somewhere
where the air is clean, and the citrus is organically grown.
The
only other time I have ever seen leaves so dirty and musty like this is when I
was taken to an abandoned Orange grove in Los Angeles that was at the center of
a confluence of interstate freeways and in the smog — my Distillation class and
I picked leaves individually, washed, wiped, dried, cleaned each one before we
did the distillation. When we were done, we passed the hydrosol around just for
the smelling but then poured it away, back onto the ground under the trees.
I know there are organic farms in the California foothills, such as the Olsen
Farm, where you could pick organically grown citrus leaves that are not
encrusted with pollutants. I worry about people and their children that
are inhaling these pollutants every day. I hope that people think about
this and take some sort of protective herbs for lungs and on the skin and do
not pick and use any plant product that is not organically grown and
sustainable.
Citrus leaves
PLEASE
NOTE: A true
hydrosol should be specifically distilled for the hydrosol, not as a co-product
or even a by-product of essential oil distillation. The plant’s cellular water
has many components most are lost under pressurized short steam runs for
essential oil, or by using dried material. We recommend that the producers
specifically distill for a product by using plant material that is fresh
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CITRUS INTERESTING INFORMATION ~
THE KEEPING QUALITIES OF CITRUS OILS
“Lemon and Orange oils even improve after a
year or two of cold storage in that some
of the dissolved waxes separate from the oil and may be removed easily by
filtration. The resulting oils are more soluble and produce clearer extracts. Neither
odor nor flavor is impaired if the oils are kept in tin-lined fully filled
drums.”6
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ABSTRACT/SCIENTIFIC DATA: Antifungal activity of natural and modified flavonoids isolated from citrus species. By Salas, et al. … Abstract. The antifungal activity of isolated flavonoids from Citrus species, such as naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin, and enzymatically modified derivatives of these compounds, was studied on four fungi often found as food contaminants: Aspergillus parasiticus, A. flavus, Fusarium semitectum and Penicillium expansum. Although all the flavonoids showed antifungal activity, the intensity of this activity depended on the type of fungus and compound used. The hesperetin glucoside laurate strongly inhibited the mycelial growth of P. expansum, while prunin decanoate was the most inhibiting flavonoid for A. flavus, A. parasiticus, and F. semitectum. The flavonoids naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin, obtained as byproducts at low cost from the residues of the citrus industries, present an interesting option for these industries. — Food Chemistry, Vol. 124, issue 4, 15 February 2011, pages 1411-1415.
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KEY USE ~ Citrus
peels, leaves, flowers are used for scent and the flesh is used for food and
ritual.
•
Citrus Limerick (2019)Citrus fruit is delicious to eatThe taste is fine and cannot be beat.Bright and sunnyJust like honey Citrus fruit is better than meat.
Rising up
CITRUS
TOMATO TALE FROM 1961-1963
Years ago, in 1961-1963, I lived in
the middle of an Orange grove, in a sweet white farm-style house with high
ceilings and ceiling fans, lots of
windows where the breezes could blow through with the scent of oranges and
citrus flowers. I lived there with my
husband and my blue Great Dane dog George. George later became an important
figure in my rock and roll world and was eventually photographed for the cover
of an album as well as the centerpiece of a photograph that included fashion I
had designed and the models wearing them including Janis Joplin. But our lives started here in the middle of a
fragrant orange grove.
I had a big square white bedroom
with a ceiling fan and right outside the bedroom window was a large citrus tree
that had had grafted onto its trunk various varieties of citrus. This tree
depending upon the season was an orange tree, lime tree, lemon tree, grapefruit
tree or one other variety that I have
forgotten. Part of it was always in bloom, and it always scented up the dark
humid Florida nights. Those were the days of no cell phones, little to no TV,
and those quiet dark nights amongst the trees and the divine scent of citrus
flowers. Eating fresh citrus every day
and smelling those luscious flowers in the evening was the best part of my time
living in Florida. I wonder if the sweet scent still lingers and the quiet can still be found there in the
night.
Eventually, George and I, jumped
into my red Comet station wagon with all our belongings and made a 6-week
rambling journey across the United
States to come home to California and start the next phase of life in Big Sur,
CA.
•
Safety Information
•
References ~1 A classification for edible Citrus (Rutaceae) D.J. Mabberley, unknown date2 https://www.popoptiq.com/types-of-lemons/3 Mabberley, D. J. Mabberley’s Plant-Book, 3rd edition, 2014 printing, Cambridge University Press.4 Employment of a new strategy for identification of lemon (Citrus limon L.) cultivars using RAPD markers. Q Mu, X Sun, G Zhong, X Wang… – African Journal, 2012 – academicjournals.org5 Pharmacogn Rev. 2016 Jul-Dec; 10(20): 118–122.doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.194043. Anticancer Activity of Key Lime, Citrus aurantifolia by Nithithep Narang and Wannee Jiraungkoorskul6Guenther, Ernest. The Essential Oils. Volume III.Krieger. 19747 http://www.cologneboutique.com/the-history-behind-eau-de-cologne/
Herbal Studies Course/ Jeanne Rose & Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1992https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrus_hybrids.svg
Pomelo essential oil provided by tahaiyen@gmail.comRose, Jeanne. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. Berkeley, California: Frog, Ltd., 1999Rose, Jeanne. The Aromatherapy Book: Applications & Inhalations. San Francisco, CA. Rose, Jeanne. , San Francisco, CA 2000 from 1976. The best and most complete.Rose, Jeanne. Kitchen Cosmetics. San Francisco, CA.•
Antique postcard of citrus groves
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