To talk about the historical trace of the species Citrus sinensis, we must first mention the historical origin of citrus is about twenty million years ago, in the tertiary era, but those varieties, little resemble the current sweet oranges.
▶ The first point to take into account is that citrus fruits have been cultivated for more than 4000 years. Their fruits apparently attracted the attention of primitive settlers, who were in charge of cultivating them long before the appearance of European countries where they were brought by the first travelers thanks to the captivating appearance of their fruits and flowers.
Of the citrus fruits, the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is native to southeastern China and was probably brought to Europe by the Romans, but there is evidence of orange cultivation before the destruction of Pompeii.
Ci As seen in a mosaic among the ruins of the city, it is known to have been known to Europeans and references to it are found in manuscripts and ancient documents.
Citrus fruits arrived in America from the Caribbean and Brazil, which was the place where they arrived first. But their arrival was only the beginning of a constant improvement in the product. In our continent, citrus research and improvement began with the theories of Mendel and Darwin.
The United States of America has been a leader in the development of citrus production technology. First California and then Florida became the main centers of research and production worldwide. New man-made varieties such as tangalos, citranges and limequat appeared. Today, citrus fruits are produced in subtropical and tropical zones, but their fruits are part of the daily life of millions of people around the world.
