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| Malayan Kumquat foliage and fruit | |
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| Subgenus: | Fortunella (Swingle) Burkill
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The kumquats or cumquats in Australian are a group of small fruit-bearing trees. The edible fruit (which is also called "kumquat") is similar to other Citrus but is smaller.[1]
Kumquats are slow-growing, evergreen shrubs or small trees, from 2.5 to 4.5 m tall, with dense branches. Sometimes they have small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green, and the flowers pure white, similar to citrus flowers.[2]
Kumquats came from China (they are known in literature of the 12th century), and have long been cultivated there and in Japan. They were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, who was collector for the London Horticultural Society, and a short time later into North America.[3]
They are much hardier than citrus plants as oranges. The 'Nagami' kumquat needs a hot summer, ranging from 25 °C(77°F) to 38 °C(100.4 °F), but can withstand frost down to about -10 °C(14 °F). It grows in the tea regions of China where the climate is too cold for other citrus fruits, even the Mikan (also known as the Satsuma) orange.