“Mandarins … [are] a species of citrus just like an orange is a different species from a grapefruit,” said Malcolm Manners, a professor of citrus science at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla.

“Within the mandarins, then, just as you have many varieties of apples, you have many varieties of mandarins — and one of those is clementine.”

This is a hybrid between the Clementine and the Ponkan mandarin.When the fruit is mature, it becomes nearly crimson and is kept at the tips of the branches, making it quite attractive. One of our favorite mandarins, it has a deliciously rich sweet flavor.