View source for Clementine

{{short description|Hybrid citrus fruit}}
{{About|the citrus fruit|4=other uses|5=Clementine (disambiguation)}}
<!--This article is not on a [[taxon]] and thus should not receive a [[WP:TAXOBOX]] infobox-->
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Clementine
| image = Clementines whole, peeled, half and sectioned.jpg
| image_caption = Five clementines: whole, peeled, halved and sectioned
| species = ''Citrus × clementina''
| hybrid = [[Citrus × deliciosa|Mandarin orange]] × [[sweet orange]]
| origin = [[French Algeria]]
}}

A '''clementine''' (''Citrus × clementina'') is a [[tangor]], a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf [[mandarin orange]] ([[Citrus × deliciosa|''C.'' × ''deliciosa'']]) and a [[sweet orange]] (''C. × sinensis''),<ref name="Hybrid">{{Cite journal |last=Shimizu |first=Tokurou |display-authors=et al |year=2016 |title=Hybrid Origins of Citrus Varieties Inferred from DNA Marker Analysis of Nuclear and Organelle Genomes |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=11 |article-number=e0166969 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1166969S |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0166969 |pmc=5130255 |pmid=27902727 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="genealogy">{{Cite journal |last=Wu |first=GA |display-authors=et al |year=2014 |title=Sequencing of diverse mandarin, pummelo and orange genomes reveals complex history of admixture during citrus domestication |journal=Nature Biotechnology |volume=32 |issue=7 |pages=656–662 |doi=10.1038/nbt.2906 |pmc=4113729 |pmid=24908277}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barkley |first=NA |last2=Roose |first2=ML |last3=Krueger |first3=RR |last4=Federici |first4=CT |year=2006 |title=Assessing genetic diversity and population structure in a citrus germplasm collection utilizing simple sequence repeat markers (SSRs) |url=https://naldc-legacy.nal.usda.gov/naldc/download.xhtml?id=11065&content=PDF |journal=Theoretical and Applied Genetics |volume=112 |issue=8 |pages=1519–1531 |doi=10.1007/s00122-006-0255-9 |pmid=16699791 |s2cid=7667126 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309064039/https://naldc-legacy.nal.usda.gov/naldc/download.xhtml?id=11065&content=PDF |archive-date=2021-03-09 |access-date=2018-12-29|url-access=subscription }}</ref> named in honor of [[Clément Rodier]], a [[French people|French]] [[missionary]] who first discovered and propagated the [[cultivar]] in [[French Algeria|Algeria]].<ref name="Edible">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HORIzBx17DYC&pg=PA73 |title=Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants |publisher=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4262-0372-5 |page=73}}</ref>  The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. Similar to [[tangerine]]s, they tend to be easy to peel. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less [[Citric acid|acid]] than oranges.<ref name="Edible" /> Their [[Essential oil|oils]], like other citrus fruits, contain mostly [[limonene]] as well as <!-- descending order-->[[myrcene]], [[linalool]], [[α-pinene]] and many complex aromatics<!-- less than 1% -->.<ref name="Ziegler">{{Cite book |last=Ziegler |first=Herta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wl0gUqvBOoUC&q=Flavourings%3A+production%2C+composition%2C+applications%2C+regulations&pg=PA203 |title=Flavourings: production, composition, applications, regulations |publisher=Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-527-31406-5 |page=203}}</ref>

They are sometimes sold under the name '''Easy-peelers'''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ball |first1=Nick |title=Easy-Peeler Citrus |url=https://goodfruitguide.co.uk/seasonal-fruit-topics/easy-peeler-citrus/ |website=Good Fruit Guide |access-date=29 December 2024 |date=5 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jaffa Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler 600G |url=https://www.aomart.co.uk/product-page/jaffa-clementine-or-sweet-easy-peeler-600g |website=product |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Clementine del golfo di Taranto IGP.jpg|thumb|right|Italian cultivar, Clementine del golfo di Taranto]]
[[File:Fresque histoire de la clémentine Puisserguier Hérault France.jpg|alt=The Clementine Mural painting in Puisserguier France, representing Father Abram, founder of the Misserghin orphanage where the 1st citrus clementina was selected by brother Clement, a map of the different locations mentioned, and the citrus flowers, whole smooth fruit and some of its easy to peel separated sections.|thumb|Clementine Mural in [[Puisserguier]] France, celebrating Father Abram, founder of the [[Misserghin]] orphanage where the 1st citrus clementina was selected]]
The clementine is a spontaneous citrus [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] that arose in the late 19th century in [[Misserghin]], Algeria, in the garden of the orphanage of the French Missionary Brother [[Clément Rodier]], for whom it would be formally named in 1902.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trabut |first=J. L. |year=1902 |title=L'hybridation des Citrus: une nouvelle tangérine "la Clémentine" |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49660436 |journal=Revue Horticole |volume=74 |pages=232–234}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bretó |first=M. P. |last2=Ruiz |first2=C. |last3=Pina |first3=J.A. |last4=Asíns |first4=M.J. |year=2001 |title=The Diversification of ''Citrus clementina'' Hort. ex Tan., a Vegetatively Propagated Crop Species |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=285–293 |doi=10.1006/mpev.2001.1008 |pmid=11697922}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Laszlo |first=Pierre |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780226470283 |title=Citrus: a history |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2007 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780226470283/page/23 23–24] |url-access=registration}}</ref>  Some sources have attributed an earlier origin for the hybrid, pointing to similar fruit native to the provinces of [[Guangxi]] and [[Guangdong]] in present-day [[China]],<ref name="Saunt">{{Cite book |last=Saunt |first=James |title=Citrus Varieties of the World |date=January 1, 2000 |publisher=Sinclair International Business Resources |isbn=978-1-872960-01-2 |edition=2nd}} {{Page needed|date=March 2018}}</ref> but these are likely distinct mandarin hybrids,<ref name="smithsonian">{{Cite web |last=Nosowitz |first=Dan |date=23 February 2016 |title=Your Guide to Everyone's Favorite Winter Citrus: Clementines |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/winter-citrus-clementines-180958196 |access-date=15 March 2018 |website=smithsonianmag.com |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref> and genomic analysis of the clementine has shown it to have arisen from a cross between a sweet orange (''Citrus × sinensis'') and the Mediterranean willowleaf mandarin (''Citrus × deliciosa'').<ref name="Hybrid" /><ref name="genealogy" />

There are three types of clementines: seedless clementines, clementines (maximum of 10 seeds), and Monreal (more than 10 seeds). Clementines resemble other citrus varieties, such as the [[satsuma (fruit)|satsuma]] and [[tangerine]]s.<ref name="fruitinfo">{{Cite web |title=Clementines |url=https://www.fruitsinfo.com/clementines.htm |access-date=15 March 2018 |website=Fruits info.com}}</ref>

==Cultivation==
Clementines differ from other citrus in having lower heat requirements, which means the tolerance to fruit maturity and sensitivity to unfavorable conditions during the flowering and fruit-setting period is higher. However, in regions of high total heat, the Clementine bears fruit early—only slightly later than satsuma mandarins. These regions, such as North Africa, Mediterranean basin, and California, also favor maximizing the Clementine size and quality.<ref name="Hodgson">{{Cite book |last=Hodgson |first=Richard Willard |title=The Citrus Industry |date=1967 |publisher=[[University of California, Riverside]], Division of Agricultural Sciences |edition=Revised |chapter=Horticultural Varieties of Citrus |access-date=February 14, 2009 |chapter-url=http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html#clementine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308005736/http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/Vol1/Chapter4.html#clementine |archive-date=March 8, 2008}} {{Page needed|date=March 2018}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2018}}{{Failed verification|date=April 2020}}

It was introduced into Californian commercial agriculture in 1914, though it was grown at the [[University of California Citrus Experiment Station|Citrus Research Center]] (now part of the [[University of California, Riverside]]) as early as 1909.<ref name="Hodgson" /> Clementines lose their desirable seedless characteristic when they are [[cross-pollination|cross-pollinated]] with other fruit. In 2006, to prevent this, growers—such as Paramount Citrus in California—threatened to sue local [[beekeeper]]s to keep bees away from their crops.<ref name="Bees">{{Cite news |date=December 2, 2006 |title=Calif. Beekeepers Fear No-Fly Zones |url=https://katu.com/news/local/calif-beekeepers-fear-no-fly-zones-11-26-2015 |access-date=July 17, 2010 |work=[[KATU]].com |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

== Types ==
[[File:Clementines (01014)s.jpg|thumb|Seedless clementine, unpeeled and peeled]]
* '''Seedless''' – exists in North Africa. Seedless versions of the clementine are known as the common type (seedless or practically seedless). Common Clementines are very similar to the Monreal type; the two types are virtually identical in terms of tree specifics. The seedless Clementine tree is self-incompatible; which is why the fruit has so few or no seeds. In order to be pollinated, it needs to be cross-pollinated.<ref name="Hodgson" />{{Page needed|date=March 2018}}
* '''Monreal''' – exists in North Africa. The Monreal clementine can self-pollinate and has seeds. Monreal clementines are on average larger than the seedless variety, have a more abundant bloom and are sweeter.<ref name="Hodgson" />{{Page needed|date=March 2018}}
* '''Sweetclems''' — are typically grown in Spain and northern Africa. Unlike other Clementine varieties, they usually have 10 slices.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} They are specialised to be easy to peel. They have a sweet taste, as suggested by their name, but it is not overbearing and quite mild.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Escodo |first=Pierre |title=Last months to enjoy Clemcott |url=https://www.eurofresh-distribution.com/news/last-months-to-enjoy-clemcott/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Eurofresh Distribution |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=October 2024}} The sweetclem has several other brand names, and can also be referred to as an easy-peeler, a clemengold, and a clemcott, amongst others.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ball |first=Nick |date=2015-07-30 |title=What are Clementines, Mandarins, Satsumas and Tangerines? |url=https://goodfruitguide.co.uk/seasonal-fruit-topics/p6532/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Good Fruit Guide |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Varieties==
[[File:Mandarijn met steeltje en twee blaadjes Spanje.jpg|thumb|Spanish clementine, possibly the Fina cultivar]]
* '''Algerian''', the original Rodier cultivar.<ref name="Kemp">{{Cite news |last=David Karp |date=2012-12-30 |title=Farmers Markets: How to be choosy with clementines |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-market-news-online-20121130-story.html |access-date=2018-07-30 |work=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
* '''Fina''', a Spanish cultivar originally grown on a [[bitter orange]] rootstock that gave it superb flavor, but due to disease vulnerability is now grown on a broader range of rootstocks, affecting the flavor profile.<ref name="Kemp" />
* '''Clemenules''' or '''Nules''' – A popular, seedless, easy to peel clementine with a very pleasing sweet flavor. A mutation of the Fina variety, Nules is the most widely planted clementine in Spain, where it matures from mid-November to mid to late-January. Also widely planted in California, where it matures from October to December.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nules clementine |url=https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/nules.html |access-date=19 February 2015 |website=Citrus Variety Collection |publisher=College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside |via=citrusvariety.ucr.edu}}</ref>  It produces seedless fruit that is larger than the Fina, but less sweet.<ref name="Kemp" />
* '''Clementine del Golfo di Taranto''', a (practically) seedless Italian cultivar given [[Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union#Protected geographical indication (PGI)|Protected geographical indication]] (PGI) status by the European Union, produced around the [[Gulf of Taranto]]. They have a sweet flavour and an intense aroma.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clementine del Golfo di Taranto PGI |url=https://www.qualigeo.eu/en/prodotto-qualigeo/clementine-del-golfo-di-taranto-igp/}}</ref>
* '''Clementine di Calabria''', another Italian PGI variety, grown in the [[Calabria]] region.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hicham Benabdelkamel |last2=Leonardo Di Donna |last3=Fabio Mazzotti |last4=Attilio Naccarato |last5=Giovanni Sindona |last6=Antonio Tagarelli |last7=Domenico Taverna |year=2012 |title=Authenticity of PGI "Clementine of Calabria" by Multielement Fingerprint |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223994935 |journal=J. Agric. Food Chem. |volume=60 |pages=3717–3726 |doi=10.1021/jf2050075 |pmid=22458691 |number=14}}</ref>

{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable floatright col2right" style=width:12em;
|+Production of clementines, tangerines, mandarins and satsumas* in 2016 (millions of [[tonne]]s)
|-
| {{CHN}} || 17.2
|-
| {{ESP}} || 7.9
|-
| {{TUR}} || 1.3
|-
| {{MAR}} || 1.1
|-
| {{EGY}} || 1.0
|-
| {{BRA}} || 1.0
|-
| '''World''' || '''37.8'''
|-
|colspan=2 style="text-align:left;"|<small>*FAOSTAT of the [[United Nations]], which groups these fruits together in their data<ref name="faostat16">{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Clementine production* in 2016, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity (pick lists) |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC |access-date=18 March 2018 |publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)}}</ref></small>
|}

==Nutrition==
{{nutritionalvalue|right=1| name = Clementines | kJ=198 | water=86.58 g | protein=0.85 g | fat=0.15 g | carbs = 12.02 g | fiber = 1.7 g | sugars=9.18 g | sucrose=5.96 g | glucose=1.59 g | fructose=1.64 g | calcium_mg=30 | iron_mg=0.14 | magnesium_mg=10 | phosphorus_mg=21 | potassium_mg =177 | sodium_mg=1 | zinc_mg=0.06 | copper_mg=0.043 | manganese_mg=0.023 | selenium_ug=0.1 | vitC_mg=48.8 | thiamin_mg=0.086 | riboflavin_mg=0.030 | niacin_mg=0.636 | pantothenic_mg=0.151 | vitB6_mg=0.075 | folate_ug=24 | choline_mg=14 | vitE_mg=0.20 | source_usda=1|
note= [https://web.archive.org/web/20180319151450/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=09433&format=Full Entry] in USDA Database}}

A typical clementine contains 87% water, 12% [[carbohydrate]]s, and negligible amounts of [[fat]] and [[protein]] (table). Among [[micronutrient]]s, only [[vitamin C]] is in significant content (59% of the [[Daily Value]]) in a 100 gram reference serving, with all other nutrients in low amounts.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

==Potential drug interactions==
A 2017 study indicated that clementine [[phytochemical]]s may interact with drugs in a manner similar to those of [[Grapefruit drug interactions|grapefruit]].<ref name="drug-interaction">{{Cite journal |last=Theile |first=Dirk |last2=Hohmann |first2=Nicolas |last3=Kiemel |first3=Dominik |last4=Gattuso |first4=Giuseppe |last5=Barreca |first5=Davide |last6=Mikus |first6=Gerd |last7=Haefeli |first7=Walter Emil |last8=Schwenger |first8=Vedat |last9=Weiss |first9=Johanna |date=15 January 2017 |title=Clementine juice has the potential for drug interactions – In vitro comparison with grapefruit and mandarin juice |journal=European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences |volume=97 |pages=247–256 |doi=10.1016/j.ejps.2016.11.021 |pmid=27890698 |s2cid=34126212}}</ref> A follow-up study in 2019, however, has called these results into question.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hohmann |first=Nicolas |last2=Mikus |first2=Gerd |last3=Haefeli |first3=Walter Emil |last4=Schwenger |first4=Vedat |last5=Gattuso |first5=Giuseppe |last6=Barreca |first6=Davide |last7=Weiss |first7=Johanna |date=2019-05-15 |title=A follow-up report on potential drug interactions with clementines: Two single case experiments show no effect on CYP3A-dependent midazolam clearance |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928098719301162 |journal=European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences |language=en |volume=133 |pages=54–58 |doi=10.1016/j.ejps.2019.03.013 |issn=0928-0987|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Agriculture|Food}}
* [[Clementine cake]]
* [[List of foods named after people]]
* [[Apulia#Cuisine|Apulian Cuisine]]
* [[List of Italian products with protected designation of origin]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}
{{Citrus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q460517}}

[[Category:Agriculture in California]]
[[Category:Citrus hybrids]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Cuisine of Apulia]]
[[Category:Agriculture in Italy]]
[[Category:Italian products with protected designation of origin]]