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Common Name: Round Kumquat

General Information

Fortunella japonica is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 2.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a moderately heavy loam with a generous amount of compost and sand added and a very sunny position[]. Prefers a pH of 5 to 6[]. Plants are intolerant of water logging[].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, when dormant it tolerates temperatures down to about -5°c[]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[].
Kumquats are widely cultivated in China for their edible fruit, there are many named varieties[]. The plant is less vigorous, somewhat thorny and considerably more cold tolerant[] (the report gives no details of what this is in comparison to!). Kumquats are hardier than the various Citrus species since they cease growth when temperatures drop below 13°c but, for best results, it is best to grow them in a climate where temperatures do not fall lower than between 4 and 10°c[]. This is because the fruit is sweeter when it ripens in warm conditions[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - usually cooked and used in jellies, preserves etc[] or used as a flavouring, but it can also be eaten raw. The whole fruit, including the peel, is eaten[, ]. The fruit is acid whilst the peel is sweet[, ]. The peel is golden-yellow, smooth, thinner and somewhat sweeter than the oval kumquat, F. margarita[]. The fruit is rich in pectin and makes excellent marmalades and jellies[]. Vitamin C content is up to 0.24 mg/cc[]. The fruit is about 4cm long[].

Medicinal

The plant is antiphlogistic, antivinous, carminative, deodorant, stimulant[, ].
The leaves and fruit contain an essential oil, whilst the fruit also contains sugars and organic acids[]. The fresh fruit is antitussive and expectorant - in Vietnam it is steamed with sugar candy and used in the treatment of sore throats[]. It is said to be very good for infants[].

Other Uses

The fresh leaves and young twigs yield 0.21% essential oil that might be suitable for perfumery[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm airy position in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some winter protection from the cold for a year or two.