The Portugal orange
It is perhaps worth mentioning that the word orange always referred to the sour orange (Citrus aurantium) from the 11th century to the end of the 18th century. It was only after the Portuguese started importing new varieties directly from China in the first half of the 17th century that a new type called Portugal orange slowly spread to other parts of southern Europe. The first modern type of sweet orange tree was imported to Portugal in 1635. By 1650 it was known also in France and Italy. The fruit was sweet and could be eaten fresh, unlike other citrus fruits known at the time. In many countries it was called Portugal orange; in fact the name of orange is still identical to the name of Portugal in many languages: in Greece (portokalo), in parts of Italy (portogallo) and in Albania, Romania and several countries in the near east. Elsewhere it was called sweet orange or China orange. Its scientific name became Citrus sinensis (Chinese citrus). The building of special greenhouses to protect citrus fruit from frost (orangeries) became more common around the time of the spreading of the new sweet orange.
Fonte: Citrus pages.
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