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is Apple a Citrus Fruit
Last updated on 2021-08-24T17:36:11 by Olayemi Michael Bsc (nutrition and dietetics)
An apple a day keeps you away from the doctor is a popular saying most of us grew up knowing. Foodies out there are sometimes confused if apples are citrus fruit or not. Before I answer the question I will like us to understand the word “citrus”
From a botanist perspective , a citrus is a genus (taxonomy) of flowering plants from the Rutacea family and fruits from this genus are called citrus fruit. All fruits that are under this genus possess some characteristics which make them fit to be classified under it but do apples fit under this genus ? let keep diving in : let look at two key description of citrus plant
#1. Tree : large or small to moderate size shrubs which could be 5m to 15m tall. They have evergreen leave and are often strong scented
#2. Fruit: They are specialized berries which can be globose to elongate. The fruit can be 4 to 30 cm long with a leathery rind or peel called a pericarp
Assessing the above listed characteristics, I can boldly say no to the question. Apple belongs to a genus called malus. So I can say it’s a Malus fruit. Malus is a small deciduous tree or shrub in the family Rosaceae.
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Apples are high in fiber, vitamin C, and various antioxidants. They are also very filling, considering their low calorie count.
Here are the nutrition facts for one raw, unpeeled, medium-sized apple (100 grams):
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Calories: 52
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Water: 86%
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Protein: 0.3 grams
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Carbs: 13.8 grams
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Sugar: 10.4 grams
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Fiber: 2.4 grams
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Fat: 0.2 grams
As a bonus to our question, let’s look at the scientific classification of both Citrus and Malus.
Scientific Classification of Citrus and Malus.