These are treated as members of a distinct species, Citrus reticulata Blanco. In the Philippines all mandarin oranges are called naranjita. Spanish-speaking people in the American tropics call them mandarina. The mandarin tree may be much smaller than that of the sweet orange or equal in size, depending on variety. The flowers are borne singly or a few together in the leaf axils.
Seeds are small, pointed at one end, green inside.
The mandarin orange is considered a native of south-eastern Asia and the Philippines. It is most abundantly grown in Japan, southern China, India, and the East Indies, and is esteemed for home consumption in Australia. It gravitated to the western world by small steps taken by individuals interested in certain cultivars. Therefore, the history of its spread can be roughly traced in the chronology of separate introductions. Two varieties from Canton were taken to England in 1805.