Citrus Oil
Citrus oil, also known as mandarin orange oil or lemon oil, is a hydrocarbon solvent distilled and extracted from the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, pomelos, and lemons. It has a boiling point of 175.5–176°C and carries the fragrance of citrus (lemon) fruits. Lemon oil itself is insoluble in water.
Citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco) belongs to the Rutaceae family. It thrives in warm and humid climates and is slightly more cold-tolerant than pomelos, sour oranges, and sweet oranges. The citrus subfamily of Rutaceae is distributed between 16° and 37° north latitude. These are evergreen fruit trees of tropical and subtropical regions (except for the trifoliate orange), with three genera used in economic cultivation: Poncirus, Citrus, and Fortunella. The citrus cultivated in China and other countries around the world primarily belongs to the Citrus genus.
Flowers are solitary or clustered in groups of 2–3; the calyx is irregularly shallowly lobed into 5–3 segments; petals are typically less than 1.5 cm long; there are 20–25 stamens, with a slender style and a capitate stigma. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from October to December.