he orange (specifically, the sweet orange) is the fruit of the citrus species Citrus × sinensis in the family Rutaceae.[2] The fruit of the Citrus sinensis is called sweet orange to distinguish it from that of the Citrus aurantium, the bitter orange. The orange is a hybrid, possibly between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and mandarin (Citrus reticulata), cultivated since ancient times.[3]
Probably originating in Southeast Asia,[4] oranges were already cultivated in China as far back as 2500 BC. Arabo-phone peoples popularized sour citrus and oranges in Europe;[5] Spaniards introduced the sweet orange to the American continent in the mid-1500s.
Orange trees are widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates for their sweet fruit, which can be eaten fresh or processed to obtain juice, and for the fragrant peel.[4] They have been the most cultivated tree fruit in the world since 1987,[6] and sweet oranges account for approximately 70% of the citrus production.[7] In 2010, 68.3 million tonnes of oranges were grown worldwide, particularly in Brazil and in the US states of California[8] and Florida.[9]