Mandarin originated in China and has long been cultivated in China and Japan. It reached Europe in 1805 and the USA in the middle of the nineteenth century. Now it grows everywhere in the tropics and has been introduced to Uganda. This citrus can tolerate the lowest temperatures. The loose peel and sweet juice are characteristic. The name mandarin is best used for the yellow-fruited cultivars and tangerine for those with a deep orange rind. In Kampala,Citrus nobilis can be found within Makerere II Zone B and C private residences within Makerere precinct, along Owen road, within Tuffnell village residences among others.

A small tree 2-8 m with a dense top of slender branches and rather few spines.

BARK:

LEAVES: shiny dark green above, yellow-green below, oblong to narrowly oval to 8 cm long, the edge usually with widely spaced rounded teeth, the stalk very narrowly winged.

FLOWERS: in leaf axils, about 2 cm across, smaller than sweet orange, white and single.

FRUIT: typically yellow to bright red-orange when ripe but some stay green. Fruit are rounded but flattened, to 8 cm diameter, rind and segments easily separated, the centre hollow. The orange juicy pulp around the seeds is very sweet.

Edible: fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in puddings, cakes, confectionery etc., dried rind of the fruit has a sweet spicy flavour and is often used as a flavouring in cakes etc., rind is a source of pectin.

An essential oil from the peel is used as a food flavouring and also in perfumery and medicines.

An essential oil obtained from the leaves and young twigs is called 'petitgrain oil'.

Medicine: fruit, flowers, pericarp, endocarp, unripened green exocarp, and seed. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Citrus+reticulata