Citrinos do Algarve PGI citrus fruit trees became an integral part of the flora of the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean from the end of the 13th century, through trade, begun by the Genoese overland and the Portuguese by sea, with China, Japan and India. A phenomenon resulting from this is that some varieties of these fruits have acquired the name “Portuguesas” on the European coast of the Mediterranean, “Bourtougais” in the Arab areas and “Porthogal” in the areas under Persian influence. From here citrus fruit cultivation spread throughout the world. The Arabs cultivated these fruits on the West African coast as far as Mozambique; Christopher Columbus took them as far as Haiti; the British and Dutch as far as South Africa and Australia and the Portuguese to South America. In the Algarve, in olden times, Christmas trees were decorated with citrus fruits, testament to the importance of these fruits in the life of the region.