also: きこく
trifoliate orange; hardy orange
A thorny deciduous shrub or small tree, often used as a rootstock for citrus or as a hedge. The fruit is very sour and not eaten raw.
The fruit of the trifoliate orange is small and sour.
There is a trifoliate orange hedge in the corner of the garden.
Yuzu is a different citrus fruit, widely used in Japanese cuisine for its aromatic zest and juice, while カラタチ is mainly ornamental or used as rootstock.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Alternate kanji spelling with the reading きこく; very rare.
Rare kanji spelling; mainly encountered in botanical or literary contexts.
Single-character abbreviation; extremely rare.
Developed from 唐橘, literally “Chinese citrus,” an older name associated with the plant’s introduction from China.