Editing Citrus reticulata (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Citrus reticulata fruit 2009 G1.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Mandarin orange fruit, identified on the Commons file page as ''Citrus reticulata''. Photo by George Chernilevsky, public domain.]]

''Citrus reticulata'' is a small, evergreen tree with axillary thorns and a reported height of about 3–8 m. The current native distribution record places the species in Southeast China, while horticultural accounts note that the original habitat of the cultivated mandarin complex is difficult to delimit. The fruit is thin-skinned, readily peeled, and acidic-sweet; individual selections differ in seed number, fruit size, flavor, and maturity season.<sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Modern mandarin commerce includes species, hybrids, and cultivar groups. Genetic studies of citrus support a complex history of hybridization and introgression, so a named mandarin type should be identified separately when its parentage or cultivar status matters.<sup id="cite_ref-5">[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>