There is some debate as to whether the oval kumquat, or even the genus Fortunella, merit recognition as a distinct species and genus. The Flora of China has submerged the entire genus into one species as Citrus japonica[]. At present we are keeping the genus Fortunella distinct, but it is likely that the Flora of China treatment will gain widespread acceptance and, if so, this species will be moved to Citrus[].

Common Name: Oval Kumquat

General Information

Oval kumquat is a prickly, evergreen shrub or small tree with a compact crown; it can grow 3 - 4 metres tall[].
The plant is widely cultivated for its fruit in China and Japan, it is also grown in many other tropical and subtropical areas such as Central and South America, the West Indies, Sicily, coastal region of the Black Sea, Africa (Ethiopia, Zimbabwe), N India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaiian Islands[]. The plant is also grown as an ornamental and a hedge[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - S. China.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in a range of climates from warm temperate to subtropical and at moderate to higher elevations in the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 26 - 37°c, but can tolerate 12 - 40°c[]. In the cool periods of the year the plant enters a condition of dormancy, with a high resistance to winter cold even if alternated with milder periods[]. Dormant plants are very cold tolerant, only being killed by temperatures of -15°c or lower, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,100 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,000mm[].
Prefers a moderately heavy loam with a generous amount of compost and sand added and a very sunny position[]. Prefers a pH of 5 to 6[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8[]. Plants are intolerant of water logging[].
Kumquats are hardier than the various Citrus species since they cease growth when temperatures drop below 13°c but, for best results, they are best grown in a climate where temperatures do not fall lower than between 4 - 10°c[]. This is because the fruit is sweeter when it ripens in warm conditions[].
There are some named varieties[]. By crossing this more cold-resistant species with the citrange (compare Poncirus trifoliata) and Citrus aurantiifolia, several hybrids (citrangequat, limequat) have been produced[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. They can also be used in jellies, marmalade, preserves etc or as a flavouring[, ]. The whole fruit, rind as well, is eaten raw. It is best to first squeeze and massage the fruit in order to combine the flavours of the flesh and the rind[]. After ripening the fruit gradually loses water content, becomes richer in flavour and is then at its best for making preserves[]. The fruit is up to 4cm in diameter[]. The fruit is rich in pectin, the inner peel containing about 10%[].

Medicinal

The dried peel of the fruit is used medicinally[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be grown as a hedge[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. When they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.

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