Thursday Challenge

Today's Challenge : "AUTUMN" (Leaves, Harvest, Farm's Market, Migrating Birds and Animals, Rainy Season,...)

Lots of CALAMANSI my momma and poppa harvested this afternoon as I visited them at home. They both love fruit-bearing trees and plants. This is why we have a lot of them in our backyard and lots more in the farm. Can't to go there next week for another fruit and veggie harvest. For so many years I've known calamansi as the Philippine Lemon or Philippine Lime. Just learned today (accdg to wikipedia) that it's called Calamondin.

CALAMANSI or Calamondin ( the miniature orange), is a native citrus plant in the Philippines and China, is cultivated in Southeast Asia and elsewhere as an important crop. In the U.S. and Europe, it is grown mainly as an outstanding ornamental. The tree, which is often trained as a bonsai, will bloom year-round; filling the air with the aroma of citrus blossom. Flower and fruit often will appear at the same time.

The tree has upright branches with very few thorns and can grow up to 10 feet high. Its 3-inch evergreen leaves are broadly oval and pale green below like those of the kumquat. Its flowers are white and small. The 1 3/4 inch-wide fruit is small, depressed, globose and deep orange-yellow when ripe, loose-skinned and, segmented. The pulp is very acidic. Mature fruit can be produced year round.

It is said that it is an acid citrus, a group that includes lemons and limes. The flesh is orange, juicy and acid, with a fine lime-orange flavor. Because of this, it is usually grouped with the limes. The small seeds are few, with characteristic green cotyledons. One bite of this fruit can pucker your mouth. The fruit, when ripe, is very sour when first tasted. Subsequent tasted fruits make your mouth sweet.