On the other hand tangerines contain seeds so any cross pollination doesn’t affect this characteristic.īoth tangerine and Clementine are great source of vitamins. The problem of cross pollination became so rampant that a Californian firm Paramount Citrus actually threatened to sue the local bee cultivators as their bees crossed the farmland and cross-pollinated their Clementine. Their cultivation in Morocco and Spain caters to the European market.Įven though, clementines are seedless, they lose this characteristic when they get cross pollinated by the bees with some other fruit. Clementine was introduced in 1914 to North America. However some people claim that it was grown in China from a long time and was identical to a variety known as Canton mandarin. Clementine on the other hand is supposed to be an accidental hybrid which was discovered by Father Clement Rodier of Algeria. However, their popularity did not reach the western world until 19th century. Their cultivation was also done in the present day Burma. Tangerines were initially cultivated in the large parts of China and Japan from 3000 years. Tangerines taste a little sour and contain seeds.

They are not only easy to peel, they are seedless and sweet too, making them all the more of a preferred choice by the fruit lovers. Their outer covering or the rind is very shiny and smooth in appearance. It is a hesperidium or a berry that has a leathery rind which contains oil in its cells, of mandarin orange.

On the other hand Clementine is known as Citrus reticulata. Tangerine is botanically known as Citrus tangerine and is an orange colored fruit with citrus properties. Tangerines and Clementine are types of mandarin.

Tangerine and clementine difference