I. The Rind (Aurantii amari cortex). The U. S. P. describes bitter orange peel as consisting of “narrow, thin bands, or in quarters; epidermis of a dark, brownish-green color, glandular, and with very little of the spongy, white, inner layer adhering to it; it has a fragrant odor, and an aromatic, bitter taste”—(U. S. P.). (For further information regarding bitter orange, see Aurantii Dulcis Cortex.) It is official in Extractum Aurantii Amari Fluidum and in Tinctura Aurantii Amari of the U. S. P.
II. The Fruit (Fructus aurantii), when ripe, is about the shape and size of the common sweet orange, is darker in color, rougher, and has a white parenchyma beneath the rind, and the juice of the pulp is bitter and sour. Orangettes (petit grains) are the unripe fruits which drop from the trees, and are considerably used on the continent under the name of orange berries. They vary from ⅛ to ½ inch in diameter, are of a greenish or brown-black color, closely wrinkled, and pleasantly aromatic both in taste and odor.
III. The Leaves (Folia aurantii).—These are borne on a jointed, broadly-winged petiole, and are smooth, oblong-ovate or ovate, nearly entire, or having a slightly crenated margin. They are aromatic and have pellucid oil-glands scattered throughout the blade.