__NOTOC__ ''Citrus myrtifolia (chinotto)'', the myrtle-leaved orange tree, is a species of ''

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

'' with foliage similar to that of the common myrtle. It is a compact tree with small leaves and no thorns which grows to a height of and can be found in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

, the

south of France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

, and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(primarily in

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

, typically

Savona Savona (; ) is a seaport and (municipality) in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, and the capital of the Province of Savona. Facing the Ligurian Sea, Savona is the main center of the Riviera di Ponente (the western se ...

, and also in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

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, and

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

). The fruit of the tree resembles small

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

s. It has a bitter flavor and is commonly called by its Italian name, ''chinotto'' (). It is an essential

flavoring agent A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive that is used to improve the taste or Sense of smell, smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chem ...

of most Italian amari, of the popular

Campari Campari () is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an aperitif, apéritif of the ''bitter'' variety (and not an amaro) by Italians while considered an apéritif of the Amaro (liqueur), amaro variety by Americans, obtained from the infusion of ...

apéritif, and of several brands of carbonated soft drinks that are generically called "chinotto". ''Citrus myrtifolia'' is sometimes planted in gardens. Due to its compactness, it can also be planted in a pot or other container.

Usage

The plant produces small bitter fruits which can be used to make jams, candied fruits, and syrups. Such processing reduces the bitter taste. Chinotto juice can be used to produce a drink, and is a component of some digestifs.

Synonyms

* ''Citrus aurantium var. myrtifolia'' Ker-Gawl. in Bot. Reg. vol. 4, t. 346, in textu. 1818. * ''Citrus pumila'' Marc. in Izv. Sochin. Obl. Sukhum. Stants. vol. 2. 1921.

References

* Chandler, W. H., S. N. Hooper & M. J. Harvey - ''Evergreen Orchards''. Kimpton London 1958: 535 pp. * Facciola, S. - ''Cornucopia. A Source Book of Edible Plants''. Kampong Publ. Vista 1990: 677 pp. * Hodgson, R. W. (1965): "Taxonomy and nomenclature in the ''Citrus''" (pp 317–331) - In: S. Krishnamurthi (ed.) - ''Advances in Agriculture Sciences and Their Applications''. Agric. Coll. Res. Inst. Coimbatore. * Mortensen, E. & E. T. Bullard - ''Handbook of Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture''. (3rd ed. 1966). Department of State Agency for International Development Washington 1964: 260 pp. * Morton, J. F. (ed.) - ''Fruits of Warm Climates''. Creative Resource System, Winterville, N.C. 1987: 505 pp. * Swingle, W. T. (1946): "The botany of ''Citrus'' and its wild relatives of the orange subfamily (family Rutaceae, subfamily Aurantioideae)" (pp 129–474) - In: H. J. Webber & L. D. Batchelor (eds.) - ''The ''Citrus'' Industry''. Vol. 1. History, botany and breeding Univ. of California Press Berkeley: 1028 pp. * Tanaka, T. - ''Species problem in ''Citrus''. A critical study of wild and cultivated units of Citrus, based upon field studies in their native homes''. Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Ueno 1954: 152 pp. * Webber, H. J. (1946): "Cultivated varieties of ''Citrus''" (pp 475–668) - In: H. J. Webber & L. D. Batchelor (eds.) - ''The ''Citrus'' Industry''; 1. History, botany and breeding Univ. of California Press Berkeley: 1028 pp.

External links

* *
NCBI Taxonomy Database

Mansfield's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) entry
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1074438 myrtifolia

Ornamental trees Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque