✵The article documents the herb Citron Fruit, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Citrus medica L. and (2) Citrus wilsonii Tanaka—along with a detailed description of their botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments; the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the herb Citron Fruit; its pharmacological actions; medicinal efficacy; and administration guidelines.
Fructus Citri (Citron Fruit)
Pinyin Name: Xiānɡ Yuán
English Name: Citron Fruit
Latin Name:Fructus Citri Properties and Flavors: Warm, pungent, bitter, sour
Brief Introduction:Fructus Citri is the dried, ripe fruit of Citrus medica L. or Citrus wilsonii Tanaka. It is used to soothe the liver, regulate Qi, and resolve phlegm, primarily for treating gastric distension with pain, chest fullness and oppression, and cough with copious phlegm. It is commonly known as Fructus Citri, Citron Fruit, or Xiānɡ Yuán.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Fructus Citri (Citron Fruit) as the dried, ripe fruit of (1) Citrus medica L. or (2) Citrus wilsonii Tanaka. Both belong to the genus Citrus L., family Rutaceae (rue family), order Rutales. These two commonly used species are described below:
(1) Citrus medica L.
Botanical Description:Citrus medica L. (syn. Citrus medica Linn.) is an evergreen small tree or shrub of the Rutaceae family and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Citron Fruit, Gǒu Yuán (“Citrus medica”), or Gǒu Yuán Zī (“fruit of Citrus medica”). It grows up to 9–11 m tall. The whole plant is glabrous; branches bear short, hard spines; young branches are smooth and purplish-red. Leaves are alternate, short-petiolate, lacking winged petioles or bearing only faint vestigial wings; leaf blades are oblong or obovate-oblong, 8–15 cm long and 3.5–6.5 cm wide; apex is blunt or mucronate; base is broadly cuneate; margin is serrate; surface is dotted with translucent, oil-containing glandular points.
Inflorescence: Flowers are solitary or arranged in axillary clusters of 3–10; hermaphroditic flowers may degenerate into functionally male flowers with a rudimentary pistil (pistillode); pedicels are short. Calyx is shallowly cup-shaped (cyathiform), apex is shallowly 5-lobed. Corolla with 5 petals; inner surface is white, outer surface is mauve (lilac). Stamens 30–60. Gynoecium: single pistil; ovary is 10–13-locular, each locule containing numerous ovules; style is thickened and persistent; stigma is capitate.
Fruit (hesperidium): oblong, oval (egg-shaped), or subsphaeroidal (subglobular), 10–25 cm long; apex bearing papillae; pericarp is coarse or smooth, turning lemon-yellow at maturity; strongly fragrant; pulp is scanty. Seeds are oval (egg-shaped), smooth-surfaced. Flowering period: April; fruiting period: October–November.
Ecological Environment:Citrus medica L. is cultivated in China.
Growth Characteristics:Citrus medica L. prefers a warm, humid climate and is intolerant of severe frost or cold. Cultivation is best suited to deep, fertile, loose, humus-rich sandy loam soils with good drainage.
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 edge of the cross-section is sinuate (slightly undulating); the exocarp is yellow-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; occasionally, shriveled, red-brown juice sacs remain; 1–2 seeds present. The central fruit axis (carpel axis) is conspicuous, up to 1.2 cm wide. The texture is pliable yet tough. The herb has a faint aroma and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Medicinal efficacy: Soothes the liver and regulates Qi; regulates Qi and descends rebellious Qi; alleviates stagnation; relieves diaphragmatic constraint; dispels chest oppression and fullness; resolves phlegm. It is indicated for Liver-Qi and Stomach-Qi stagnation; epigastric distension, pain, and fullness; chest and hypochondriac fullness and pain; abdominal distension and oppression; gastric distension and bloating; vomiting, belching, poor appetite; cough with excessive phlegm; phlegm-damp retention with cough; and related conditions.
Administration of Fructus Citri (Xiānɡ Yuán):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Fructus Citri (Xiānɡ Yuán)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–9 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1–2 qian (≈3–6 grams), or prepared as pills or powder; (3) Internally: water decoction, 3–6 grams, or prepared as pills or powder.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Fructus Citri should be used with caution in cases of Qi deficiency and during pregnancy.
(2) Citrus wilsonii Tanaka
Botanical Description:Citrus wilsonii Tanaka is commonly known as Xiānɡ Yuán. It is an evergreen tree growing up to 9–11 m tall. The entire plant is glabrous and bears short spines. Leaves are alternate; petioles have broad, obcordate wings approximately one-third to one-quarter the length of the leaf blade; leaf blades are coriaceous, elliptic or oblong, 5–12 cm long and 2–5 cm wide; apex is short-acuminate to obtuse, sometimes slightly emarginate; base is blunt; margin is entire or undulate-serrate; both surfaces are glabrous and dotted with translucent, oil-containing glandular points.
Flowers are solitary or arranged in axillary clusters (not true racemes); corolla is white; stamens 25–36; ovary is 10- or 11-locular.
Fruit (hesperidium): oblong, spherical, or oblate; transverse diameter 5–9 cm; apex bearing papillae; pericarp is typically coarse and rugose—or occasionally smooth—turning orange-yellow at maturity; strongly aromatic; seeds are numerous. Flowering period: April–May; fruiting period: October–November.
Ecological Environment:Citrus wilsonii Tanaka is mainly cultivated in China.
Characteristics of the Herb: The fruit is subsphaeroidal (subglobular); slices are round, 4–7 cm in diameter. The surface is celadon (sage-green) or yellowish-brown, coarse and rough, densely covered with small, sunken oil glands; the apex bears persistent style remnants and a circular, ring-like ridge (often termed the “golden coin ring”); fruit stalk scars are present at the base. The texture is firm and hard; conspicuous oil glands appear along the edge of the cross-section; the mesocarp is approximately 0.5 cm thick; the pulp comprises 9–12 segments, brown or pale brown, containing yellowish-white seeds. The herb has a fragrant odor and tastes sour and bitter.
✵The article documents the herb Citron Fruit, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Citrus medica L. and (2) Citrus wilsonii Tanaka—along with a detailed description of their botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments; the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the herb Citron Fruit; its pharmacological actions; medicinal efficacy; and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Xiānɡ Yuán
Botanical Description: Citrus medica L. (syn. Citrus medica Linn.) is an evergreen small tree or shrub of the Rutaceae family and genus Citrus L. It is commonly known as Citron Fruit, Gǒu Yuán (“Citrus medica”), or Gǒu Yuán Zī (“fruit of Citrus medica”). It grows up to 9–11 m tall. The whole plant is glabrous; branches bear short, hard spines; young branches are smooth and purplish-red. Leaves are alternate, short-petiolate, lacking winged petioles or bearing only faint vestigial wings; leaf blades are oblong or obovate-oblong, 8–15 cm long and 3.5–6.5 cm wide; apex is blunt or mucronate; base is broadly cuneate; margin is serrate; surface is dotted with translucent, oil-containing glandular points.
Ecological Environment: Citrus medica L. is cultivated in China.
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 edge of the cross-section is sinuate (slightly undulating); the exocarp is yellow-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; occasionally, shriveled, red-brown juice sacs remain; 1–2 seeds present. The central fruit axis (carpel axis) is conspicuous, up to 1.2 cm wide. The texture is pliable yet tough. The herb has a faint aroma and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Promotes gastrointestinal motility; (2) Expectorant; (3) Inhibits thrombosis.
Botanical Description: Citrus wilsonii Tanaka is commonly known as Xiānɡ Yuán. It is an evergreen tree growing up to 9–11 m tall. The entire plant is glabrous and bears short spines. Leaves are alternate; petioles have broad, obcordate wings approximately one-third to one-quarter the length of the leaf blade; leaf blades are coriaceous, elliptic or oblong, 5–12 cm long and 2–5 cm wide; apex is short-acuminate to obtuse, sometimes slightly emarginate; base is blunt; margin is entire or undulate-serrate; both surfaces are glabrous and dotted with translucent, oil-containing glandular points.
Flowers are solitary or arranged in axillary clusters (not true racemes); corolla is white; stamens 25–36; ovary is 10- or 11-locular.
Characteristics of the Herb: The fruit is subsphaeroidal (subglobular); slices are round, 4–7 cm in diameter. The surface is celadon (sage-green) or yellowish-brown, coarse and rough, densely covered with small, sunken oil glands; the apex bears persistent style remnants and a circular, ring-like ridge (often termed the “golden coin ring”); fruit stalk scars are present at the base. The texture is firm and hard; conspicuous oil glands appear along the edge of the cross-section; the mesocarp is approximately 0.5 cm thick; the pulp comprises 9–12 segments, brown or pale brown, containing yellowish-white seeds. The herb has a fragrant odor and tastes sour and bitter.
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