✵The article records the herb Immature Orange Fruit—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, its botanical sources as defined in classical herbal works— two primary species: (1) Citrus aurantium L. and (2) Citrus sinensis Osbeck, and two additional usable species: (3) Poncirus trifoliata and (4) Citrus medica Linn.—along with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these four plant species; the morphological features of the herb Immature Orange Fruit; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin name: Zhǐ Shí
English Name: Immature Orange Fruit
Latin Name:Fructus Aurantii Immaturus Properties and flavors: warm, pungent, sour, bitter
Brief Introduction:Fructus Aurantii Immaturus is the dried, small, immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties or Citrus sinensis Osbeck, with a diameter under 2.5 cm. It is used to treat dyspepsia, constipation, and abdominal distension due to food stagnation, and is administered in larger doses for visceroptosis. The herb is commonly known as Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Immature Orange Fruit, or Zhǐ Shí.
Botanical Source: Immature Orange Fruit is the dried, small, immature fruit of (1) Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties or (2) Citrus sinensis Osbeck, with a diameter under 2.5 cm. These are plants of the genus Citrus, family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family), order Sapindales. In practice, the small, immature fruits of two additional species are also used: (3) Poncirus trifoliata and (4) Citrus medica Linn. The second species is introduced in the preceding section titled “Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Dried Tangerine Peel).” The other three species are described below:
(1) Citrus aurantium L.
Botanical Description:Citrus aurantium L. is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Citrus aurantium L., bitter orange, Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange; in Chinese, it is called Suān Chéng (meaning “sour orange”), Suān Chéng Zhǐ Shí, Tóu Pí Chéng, or Gōu Tóu Chéng. It is an evergreen small tree with dense, prismatic branches bearing long spines. Leaves are alternate; petioles bear narrow, elongated or narrowly obcordate leaf wings, 8–15 mm long and 3–6 mm wide; leaf blades are coriaceous, obovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong, 3.5–10 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide; the apex is short-acuminate, obtuse, or emarginate (slightly concave); the base is cuneate or rounded; margins are entire or slightly undulate (sinuolate); translucent oil glands are present.
Flowers are solitary or occur in clusters in leaf axils and at the tips of current-year branches; they are white and fragrant. The calyx is cup-shaped (cotyledonous), 4- or 5-lobed. There are five petals, oblong, elliptic, or suborbicular. Stamens number over twenty. The ovary is superior; the pistil is shorter than the stamens; the style is capitate.
The fruit is a hesperidium, subspherical (subglobular), round or oblate, with a rind ranging from slightly thick to very thick and difficult to peel. When mature, it is orange-yellow to vermilion, irregular in size and shape, farctate or half-filled, divided into 10–13 segments. The pulp is sour, sometimes bitter, with a characteristic aroma. Seeds are numerous and large, often ribbed; cotyledons are cream-white (milky white); embryos may be monoembryonic or polyembryonic. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs from June to November.
Ecological Environment:Citrus aurantium L. grows naturally and is cultivated on hills, low mountains, and near rivers and lakes. Native to tropical Asia, it is now distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions. Orchards of bitter orange are found along the Mediterranean coast.
Growth Characteristics:Citrus aurantium prefers a warm, humid climate and tolerates partial shade. The annual average temperature requirement exceeds 15 °C (59 °F); the minimum effective temperature for germination is above 10 °C (50 °F); the optimal growth temperature range is 20–25 °C (68–77 °F); it can survive temperatures down to −5 °C (23 °F), with a minimum tolerance of −9 °C (15.8 °F) and a maximum of 40 °C (104 °F). Annual precipitation should be 1,000–2,000 mm, with relative humidity around 75%. Cultivation is best suited to sites with ample sunlight, deep, loose, fertile, humus-rich, slightly acidic alluvial soil or acid yellow soil, or well-drained red loam.
Characteristics of the Herb: The fruits are semiglobose (semi-spherical) or ovoid (egg-shaped); a few are globular, 0.5–2.5 cm in diameter. The exocarp (epicarp) is dark green (blackish-green) or dark brownish-green, with granular protrusions and wrinkles. The apex bears conspicuous style remnants or fruit-stalk scars; the base bears floral disc remnants or abscission marks of the carpopodium (fruit stalk). The surface of the transverse section is smooth and slightly convex, ash-gray (grayish-white), 3–7 mm thick, and bears 1–2 rows of scattered, sunken oil glands (oil spots) along the margin. The mesocarp on the transverse section surface is slightly raised, 0.3–1.2 cm thick, yellowish-white or yellowish-brown. The pulp consists of 7–12 segments, brown in color; the center contains a brownish sac arranged in concentric rings. The herb is firm and hard in texture. It has an aromatic odor and tastes bitter with a slight sourness.
Medicinal Efficacy: Promoting the movement of stagnant Qi, resolving blood stasis and masses, transforming phlegm, and eliminating food retention or Qi stagnation. It is indicated for indigestion and internal accumulation, abdominal distension and fullness, distending pain in the chest and abdomen, chest obstruction (chest bi syndrome), mass-related pain, diarrhea and dysentery following tenesmus, constipation, chest obstruction due to phlegm retention and Qi constraint, phlegm-induced masses, pathogenic accumulation in the chest, edema, dyspepsia (indigestion), gastroptosis (gastric ptosis), rectocele, and uterine prolapse.
Administration of Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (Zhǐ Shí):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (Zhǐ Shí)
TCM Books:
(1).Internally: 3–9 grams; (2).Internally: water decoction, 1–2 qian (≈3–6 grams); or prepared as pills or powder. External use: apply finely ground herb powder topically; or heat and apply warm (e.g., moxibustion-like application). (3).Internally:water decoction, 3–10 grams; or prepared as pills or powder. External use: appropriate amount—apply finely ground herb powder topically; or heat and apply warm.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Fructus Aurantii Immaturus should be used with caution during pregnancy.
(3) Poncirus trifoliata
Botanical Description:Poncirus trifoliata is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf., Citrus trifoliata L., Zhǐ, Gǒu Jú, or Tiě Lí Ba. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree. Stems are glabrous; branches are numerous, and branchlets are flattened. Axillary thorns on stems are stout and large, 1–5 cm long, with flattened bases. Leaves are alternate and trifoliolate; petioles are 1–3 cm long and 2–5 mm wide. The terminal leaflet is obovate or elliptic, 1.5–6 cm long and 0.7–3 cm wide; the apex is emarginate (slightly concave) or rounded; the base is cuneate; the margin is inconspicuously minutely serrate. Lateral leaflets are smaller, elliptic-ovate, with slightly oblique bases; they are pubescent along the main veins when young and fresh, and bear translucent, glandular, oily points.
Flowers are white, short-stipitate (with short pedicels), solitary or paired in the axils of biennial branches; they often bloom before leaf emergence and are fragrant. There are 5 sepals, ovate-triangular, 5–6 mm long; 5 petals, obovate-spatulate, 1.5–3 cm long and 0.5–1.5 cm wide; 8–20 (or more) stamens of varying lengths; 1 pistil; the ovary is subglobose, densely pubescent, 6–8-locular, each locule containing several ovules; the style is stout and short; the stigma is capitate.
The fruit is a hesperidium, globular, 2–5 cm in diameter, turning orange-yellow at maturity, densely pubescent, bearing numerous glandular, oily points, and fragrant. The carpopodium is stout and short, persistent, and grow on branches. Seeds are numerous. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs from July to October.
Ecological Environment:Poncirus trifoliata grows naturally and is cultivated along roadsides, in outdoor gardens, and as hedgerows.
Growth Characteristics:Poncirus trifoliata prefers bright sunlight and a warm, humid climate. It tolerates low temperatures down to −20 to −28 °C (−4 to −18.4 °F) and thrives under such conditions. The shrub prefers slightly acidic soil and is not alkali-tolerant. Its growth rate is moderate. It exhibits strong branching capacity and is highly tolerant of pruning. The taproot is shallow, with abundant fibrous roots.
Characteristics of the Herb: The fruit is globular or hemispherical, 0.8–1.2 cm in diameter; the outer surface is olive-brown (greenish-brown), densely covered with brownish-green trichomes; the base bears circular, disc-shaped carpopodium scars. The transverse section is off-white, with a greenish-brown margin; sunken oil glands are visible. The pulp is yellowish-white. It tastes bitter and astringent.
(4) Citrus medica Linn.
Botanical Description:Citrus medica Linn. (Citrus medica L.) is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as citron, Gǒu Yuán (meaning “Citrus medica”), or Gǒu Yuán Zī (meaning “fruit of Citrus medica”). It is an evergreen small tree or shrub, growing up to 9–11 m tall. The whole plant is glabrous; branches bear short, hard spines; young branches are smooth and violet-red. Leaves are alternate, shortly stipitate, lacking leaf wings or bearing only vestigial wing marks; no conspicuous nodes are present at the junction of petiole and leaf blade. Leaf blades are oblong or obovate-oblong, 8–15 cm long and 3.5–6.5 cm wide; the apex is blunt or shortly acuminate; the base is broadly cuneate; the margin is serrate; translucent, glandular, oily points are present.
Inflorescences are racemose; flowers are solitary or occur in clusters of 3–10 in leaf axils. Hermaphroditic flowers may degenerate into functionally male flowers with a pistillode. Flowers are short-stipitate. The calyx is shallowly cup-shaped (cyathiform), with a shallowly 5-lobed apex. There are 5 petals: the inner surface is white; the outer surface is mauve (lilac). Stamens number 30–60. There is 1 pistil; the ovary is 10–13-locular, each locule containing numerous ovules; the style is hypertrophied and persistent; the stigma is capitate.
The fruit is a hesperidium, oblong, ovoid (egg-shaped), or subglobose, 10–25 cm long; the apex bears papillae; the pericarp is coarse or smooth, turning lemon-yellow at maturity, and is fragrant; the pulp is scanty. Seeds are ovoid, with a smooth surface. Flowering occurs in April; fruiting occurs from October to November.
Ecological Environment:Citrus medica Linn. is cultivated in China.
Growth Characteristics:Citrus medica Linn. prefers a warm, humid climate and is intolerant of severe frost or cold. Cultivation is best suited to fields with deep, fertile, loose, humus-rich, well-drained sandy loam.
Characteristics of the Herb: Gǒu Yuán: The herb consists of round or oblong slices, 3–10 cm in diameter and approximately 2–5 mm thick. The margin of the transverse section is sinuate (slightly undulate); the exocarp is yellowish-green or pale orange-yellow, bearing scattered, sunken oil glands. The mesocarp is 1.5–3.5 cm thick, yellowish-white, coarse and rough, with irregular reticulate protuberances (vascular bundles). The pulp comprises 11–16 segments, sometimes containing red-brown, shriveled juice sac remnants; 1–2 seeds are present. The fruit axis (carpopodium) is conspicuous, up to 1.2 cm wide. The herb is pliable and tough in texture. It has a faint aroma and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
According to ancient herbal classics, the fruit of Citrus medica L. was used as a botanical source for Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (Zhǐ Shí) during the Tang and Song dynasties; however, by the Ming dynasty, it was classified as an adulterant.
Fructus Aurantii (Orange Fruit)
Brief Introduction:Fructus Aurantii is the dried immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties, with a diameter of 3–5 cm (family Rutaceae). It is used similarly to Fructus Aurantii Immaturus but with a milder effect. It is commonly known as Fructus Aurantii, Orange Fruit, Bitter Orange, or Zhǐ Ké.
Ancient herbal classics define Fructus Aurantii (Orange Fruit) as the dried immature fruit of (1) Citrus aurantium L. Other authoritative herbal works define it as the dried immature fruit of (2) Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck. Both species belong to the genus Citrus L., family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family), order Sapindales. These two commonly used species were described in the preceding entries: “Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Dried Tangerine Peel)” and “Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (Immature Orange Fruit).”
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Fructus Aurantii should be used with caution during pregnancy.
✵The article records the herb Immature Orange Fruit—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, its botanical sources as defined in classical herbal works— two primary species: (1) Citrus aurantium L. and (2) Citrus sinensis Osbeck, and two additional usable species: (3) Poncirus trifoliata and (4) Citrus medica Linn.—along with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these four plant species; the morphological features of the herb Immature Orange Fruit; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin name: Zhǐ Shí
Botanical Description: Citrus aurantium L. is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Citrus aurantium L., bitter orange, Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange; in Chinese, it is called Suān Chéng (meaning “sour orange”), Suān Chéng Zhǐ Shí, Tóu Pí Chéng, or Gōu Tóu Chéng. It is an evergreen small tree with dense, prismatic branches bearing long spines. Leaves are alternate; petioles bear narrow, elongated or narrowly obcordate leaf wings, 8–15 mm long and 3–6 mm wide; leaf blades are coriaceous, obovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong, 3.5–10 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide; the apex is short-acuminate, obtuse, or emarginate (slightly concave); the base is cuneate or rounded; margins are entire or slightly undulate (sinuolate); translucent oil glands are present.
The fruit is a hesperidium, subspherical (subglobular), round or oblate, with a rind ranging from slightly thick to very thick and difficult to peel. When mature, it is orange-yellow to vermilion, irregular in size and shape, farctate or half-filled, divided into 10–13 segments. The pulp is sour, sometimes bitter, with a characteristic aroma. Seeds are numerous and large, often ribbed; cotyledons are cream-white (milky white); embryos may be monoembryonic or polyembryonic. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs from June to November.
Characteristics of the Herb: The fruits are semiglobose (semi-spherical) or ovoid (egg-shaped); a few are globular, 0.5–2.5 cm in diameter. The exocarp (epicarp) is dark green (blackish-green) or dark brownish-green, with granular protrusions and wrinkles. The apex bears conspicuous style remnants or fruit-stalk scars; the base bears floral disc remnants or abscission marks of the carpopodium (fruit stalk). The surface of the transverse section is smooth and slightly convex, ash-gray (grayish-white), 3–7 mm thick, and bears 1–2 rows of scattered, sunken oil glands (oil spots) along the margin. The mesocarp on the transverse section surface is slightly raised, 0.3–1.2 cm thick, yellowish-white or yellowish-brown. The pulp consists of 7–12 segments, brown in color; the center contains a brownish sac arranged in concentric rings. The herb is firm and hard in texture. It has an aromatic odor and tastes bitter with a slight sourness.
Botanical Description: Poncirus trifoliata is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf., Citrus trifoliata L., Zhǐ, Gǒu Jú, or Tiě Lí Ba. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree. Stems are glabrous; branches are numerous, and branchlets are flattened. Axillary thorns on stems are stout and large, 1–5 cm long, with flattened bases. Leaves are alternate and trifoliolate; petioles are 1–3 cm long and 2–5 mm wide. The terminal leaflet is obovate or elliptic, 1.5–6 cm long and 0.7–3 cm wide; the apex is emarginate (slightly concave) or rounded; the base is cuneate; the margin is inconspicuously minutely serrate. Lateral leaflets are smaller, elliptic-ovate, with slightly oblique bases; they are pubescent along the main veins when young and fresh, and bear translucent, glandular, oily points.
Flowers are white, short-stipitate (with short pedicels), solitary or paired in the axils of biennial branches; they often bloom before leaf emergence and are fragrant. There are 5 sepals, ovate-triangular, 5–6 mm long; 5 petals, obovate-spatulate, 1.5–3 cm long and 0.5–1.5 cm wide; 8–20 (or more) stamens of varying lengths; 1 pistil; the ovary is subglobose, densely pubescent, 6–8-locular, each locule containing several ovules; the style is stout and short; the stigma is capitate.
Ecological Environment: Poncirus trifoliata grows naturally and is cultivated along roadsides, in outdoor gardens, and as hedgerows.
Botanical Description: Citrus medica Linn. (Citrus medica L.) is a plant of the family Rutaceae (rue or spurge olive family) and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as citron, Gǒu Yuán (meaning “Citrus medica”), or Gǒu Yuán Zī (meaning “fruit of Citrus medica”). It is an evergreen small tree or shrub, growing up to 9–11 m tall. The whole plant is glabrous; branches bear short, hard spines; young branches are smooth and violet-red. Leaves are alternate, shortly stipitate, lacking leaf wings or bearing only vestigial wing marks; no conspicuous nodes are present at the junction of petiole and leaf blade. Leaf blades are oblong or obovate-oblong, 8–15 cm long and 3.5–6.5 cm wide; the apex is blunt or shortly acuminate; the base is broadly cuneate; the margin is serrate; translucent, glandular, oily points are present.
Inflorescences are racemose; flowers are solitary or occur in clusters of 3–10 in leaf axils. Hermaphroditic flowers may degenerate into functionally male flowers with a pistillode. Flowers are short-stipitate. The calyx is shallowly cup-shaped (cyathiform), with a shallowly 5-lobed apex. There are 5 petals: the inner surface is white; the outer surface is mauve (lilac). Stamens number 30–60. There is 1 pistil; the ovary is 10–13-locular, each locule containing numerous ovules; the style is hypertrophied and persistent; the stigma is capitate.
Characteristics of the Herb: Gǒu Yuán: The herb consists of round or oblong slices, 3–10 cm in diameter and approximately 2–5 mm thick. The margin of the transverse section is sinuate (slightly undulate); the exocarp is yellowish-green or pale orange-yellow, bearing scattered, sunken oil glands. The mesocarp is 1.5–3.5 cm thick, yellowish-white, coarse and rough, with irregular reticulate protuberances (vascular bundles). The pulp comprises 11–16 segments, sometimes containing red-brown, shriveled juice sac remnants; 1–2 seeds are present. The fruit axis (carpopodium) is conspicuous, up to 1.2 cm wide. The herb is pliable and tough in texture. It has a faint aroma and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Brief Introduction: Fructus Aurantii is the dried immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties, with a diameter of 3–5 cm (family Rutaceae). It is used similarly to Fructus Aurantii Immaturus but with a milder effect. It is commonly known as Fructus Aurantii, Orange Fruit, Bitter Orange, or Zhǐ Ké.
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