Fortunella hindsii (Champ. ex Benth) Swing.

ORIGIN DATA:

The Hong Kong Kumquat is also known as Mame or Hime in Japan. Its fruit is the smallest among the true citrus fruits, and has been found in the wild in some areas of China, including Hong Kong, hence its name.

TREE AND FRUIT DESCRIPTION:

Very small tree, slow growing and very thorny. Small, ellipsoidal, dark green leaves. Very small fruits, with a maximum diameter of about 15 mm and subglobose morphology. Smooth rind, thick for the size of fruit, of bright orange color. The rind is edible. Pulp is scarce, acid and sour. Contains seeds, large for the size of the fruit.

USES:

The fruits keep well on the tree after maturity. Both its aroma and flavor are powerful. In the West it is cultivated mainly as an ornamental plant, but in China it is consumed as an additive, and there is a tradition of collecting them from wild plants at the foot of the mountains.