Kumquat, Fortunella Swingle, sounds like it would be similar to loquat, Eriobotrya Lindl., but this is because they both originated in China and the name came from the Chinese word for orange although there is little similarity botanically other than being fruit trees bearing orange colored fruits that are respectively in the citrus and rose families. Kumquats are similar to oranges and were once put in the same genus, Citrus
L., and this may occur again. Like oranges the fruit of kumquat is a hesperidium, but differ in having thinner, sweet, and thus edible skin, therefore, fresh kumquats are usually eaten whole. There are a half dozen species of kumquat, but the most well known have oblong fruit and are the most cold hardy of any hesperidium bearing fruits. The hardiest kumquats are hardy to zone 8 except for very cold winters, but the trees are small enough, especially some of the other species that are not cold hardy, that they can be grown in a pot and even as a houseplant although full sun is needed.
