One of the most important and recognizable sweet oranges in the world. The navel of the Washington Navel is the result of a natural mutation that causes a second, undeveloped fruit to form inside the main orange at the blossom end. This internal “twin” creates the characteristic navel-like opening visible on the rind. The mutation also leads to seedlessness, because the fruit develops through parthenocarpy (fruit set without fertilization). Washington navel orange is also known as the Bahia for the Brazilian city from which it was imported into the United States in 1870. Although its origins are uncertain, it is believed to come from a bud sport found in a Selecta orange tree in the early 1800s. Upon its arrival at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. it was propagated and trees were sent to California and Florida. Although the Florida trees did not flourish, those sent to Eliza Tibbets in Riverside, California found an ideal climate for their culture.