Bitter orange

The bitter orange, also known as bitter orange or Citrus aurantium, is a citrus plant from the rue family that is similar to the orange, but is more bitter and smaller. It is a hybrid plant between the grapefruit and the mandarin.

Cultivated in southern Europe and subtropical zones.

Bitter oranges grow on an evergreen tree up to 10 m high with elongated oval, dark green leaves and large white, radial flowers. The fruit is usually spherical with a dark orange-red, warty skin when ripe. It consists of the yellow-orange exocarp, the so-called flavedo layer, and the spongy, yellow-white mesocarp, the so-called albedo layer.

The outer skin of the fruit, in particular the mesocarp, is candied to make candied orange peel, and the whole fruit is used to make the bitter orange marmalade popular in England. The outer skin of the fruit is first peeled off, crushed and later added to the marmalade. The peel and juice of the bitter orange are used to make the liqueur Curaçao and the Italian bitter orange lemonade Aranciata Amara.

The peels are used phytotherapeutically: Aurantii amari epicarpium et mesocarpium, see also Aurantii amari flos, in aromatherapy also Nerolioil.

The essential oil is used in the cosmetics industry, see Aurantii amari flos, see also Nerolioil.

Various fragrant extracts are obtained:

Nerolioil essential oil is obtained from the flowers by steam distillation.

Petit grain is obtained from the leaves, small twigs and unripe fruits.

The bitter orange grows as an evergreen tree and reaches a height of up to 10 meters. It has a round crown and has thorns in the leaf axils of the branches, which can reach a length of between 5 and 8 cm.

The oval leaves contain oil glands that give off a pleasant scent. The white flowers of the bitter orange also have a strong scent.

The fruits of the bitter orange are roundish in shape and bright orange when ripe. The flesh inside is sour. Harvest time in the Mediterranean region is January to February.

Citrus aurantium is the parent plant of Aurantii amari epicarpium et mesocarpium, the dried epicarp and mesocarp (peel) of the ripe fruit.

The following extracts are used in cosmetics under the following INCI names:

• Citrus aurantium amara extract(INCI), the fruit extract.
• Citrus aurantium amara flower distillate (INCI), aqueous solution of the essential oils
• Citrus aurantium amara flower extract (INCI), the flower extract
• Citrus aurantium amara peel extract (INCI), the fruit peel extract.

see under Aurantii amari epicarpium et mesocarpium and under Aurantii amari flos.