The clementine (Citrus × clementina) is a sweet citrus fruit that is a hybrid of the willowleaf mandarin and the orange. It was discovered in the late 19th century in Misserghin, Algeria, in the garden of the French missionary Clément Rodier, after whom it was named.
Clementines have smooth, glossy, deep-orange skin, and are typically juicy, easy to peel, and divided into seven to fourteen segments. Major varieties include clemenules, Fina, Algerian, and Italian cultivars such as Clementine del Golfo di Taranto and Clementine di Calabria. Clementines are cultivated in many countries around the world and are sometimes sold as “easy-peelers”. The fruit’s essential oils contain mostly limonene. This composite focus-stacked photograph shows two seedless clementines, one unpeeled (left) and one peeled (right).
