page created 14th July 2007

This is an old Italian variety. My plant probably originates from the citrus collection at Villa Hanbury where it was first listed in their catalogue dated 1912. Similar in some respects to a present day navel, Arancia Doppia has a secondary fruit entirely contained within the orange. Unlike the navel orange, however, this secondary fruit does not quite reach the outside - so the  fruit has none of the 'distorted' region on its underside. Outside it looks just like an ordinary sweet orange.

My small potted plant is only about 1m (3ft) tall, and these pictures are of its first mature fruit, about 7cms diameter, in July 2007.

Slices cut  through the fruit show the secondary fruit inside.

a 'double' sweet orange