General Information

COMMON NAMES: Sweet Orange, Navel Orange; German Orange; French Orange, Orange Doux TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Ānani (RR MG AT MK MT AK), Ānani (PK); Other Polynesian - Moli ‘Aina (SAM) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Asia COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands - mountains (+) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Food (Fruit 4+) Export KEY FEATURES: Rounded tree to 6m. LEAVES aromatic, dark green, oval, base rounded, tip pointed; stalk narrow wings, jointed to blade. FLOWERS with 5 petals, white. FRUIT almost round, to 10cmØ, peel smooth and thin, pulp sweet.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++++	+++	++	++	+	++++	-	-	-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	+	-	-

Citrus sinensis Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Citrus aurantium var. sinensis; Citrus aurantium [sensu TC]; Citrus sinensis sinensis [GW]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Sapindales; RUTACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comment: NBSAP - Atiu (5 of 5 wild)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Food (Fruit 4+) Export

IDENTIFICATION: Rounded tree to 6m. LEAVES aromatic, medium-sized, leathery, oval, base rounded, tip pointed; stalk slightly winged, jointed to blade; spine soft. FLOWERS with 5 petals. FRUIT oval to round, 5-10cmØ, peel smooth and thin, central axis (pith) solid, pulp sweet. The main local varieties have been Rarotonga Seedless and Late Valencia grafted onto rootstock of Rough Lemon (Citrus jambhiri) or trifoliata

GENERAL NOTE: The first local orange seeds were obtained from the mutineers on HMS Bounty in 1789, with many more arriving from Tahiti after the Missionaries arrived in the 1820s. These early oranges were widespread and maintenance-free, and they maintained an important export industry. The wild trees started to fail in the 1930s and in 1945 managed plots were established of Late Valencia and Rarotonga/Matavera Seedless grafted on Rough Lemon rootstock. By 1960 there were 240 plots with more than 18,000 trees. In 1961 the juicing factory opened, and the orange industry continued to thrive until 1980, and the factory closed late 80s. Since then many plots have taken new crops, some have continued, some have been replanted, and others simply abandoned. Locally the juicy green fruits are carefully skinned with a knife and the juice extracted into the month through a opening at the base. Orange juice is used to sweeten herbal medicines, although the main citrus juice in home remedies is the Rough Lemon. [GMcC]

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Citrus sinensis.

References:
p.483 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.481 Tropica
p.3/521 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.275 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.61 * Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.355d Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images