Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae.[1] It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height of Template:Convert. There are two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesTemplate:Sndthe "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".
Description
It is a large green tree, valued mainly for its fruits, both green and ripe.[1] Approximately 500 varieties have been reported in India.[1] It can grow up to Template:Convert tall[2] with a similar crown width and a trunk circumference of more than Template:Convert.[1][3] The leaves are simple, shiny and dark green.[4]
Red-yellow flowers appear at the end of winter, and also at the beginning of spring. Both male and female flowers are borne on same tree.[1] Climatic conditions have a significant influence on the time of flowering.[1] In the Indian subcontinent, flowering starts in December in the south, in January in Bihar and Bengal, in February in eastern Uttar Pradesh, and in February–March in northern India. The duration of flowering is 20–25 days for the Dasheri variety, while panicle emergence occurs in early December and flower opening is completed by February. The Neelum variety produces two crops a year in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, but it flowers only once in North Indian conditions.[5]
The mango is an irregular, egg-shaped fruit which is a fleshy drupe.[1] Mangos are typically Template:Convert long and greenish yellow in color. The fruits can be round, oval, heart, or kidney shaped.[1] Mango fruits are green when they are unripe.[1] The interior flesh is bright orange and soft with a large, flat pit in the middle.[1] Mangos are mature in April and May. Raw mangos can be used in the making of pickles and chutneys.[6] Ripe mangos are a popular fruit throughout the world. The skin and pulp account for 85% of the mango's weight, and the remaining 15% comes from the stone (seed).[7]
Chemistry
Mangiferin (a pharmacologically active hydroxylated xanthone C-glycoside) is extracted from mango at high concentrations from the young leaves (172 g/kg), bark (107 g/kg), and from old leaves (94 g/kg).[8] Allergenic urushiols are present in the fruit peel.[9]
Taxonomy
Mangoes are believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar and northeastern Indian subcontinent. M. indica were domesticated separately in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia over centuries, resulting in two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesTemplate:Sndthe "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".[1][10][11]
The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1753.[12]
Distribution and habitat
Since their domestication in southeastern Asia, mangoes have been introduced to other warm regions of the world.[1][10][11]
The tree grows best in well-drained sandy loam; it does not grow well in heavy wet soils. The optimal pH of the soil should be between 5.2 and 7.5.[2]
Cultivation
Toxicity
Urushiols in the fruit peel can trigger contact dermatitis in sensitised individuals.[9] This reaction is more likely to occur in people who have been exposed to other plants from the family Anacardiaceae, such as poison oak and poison ivy, which are widespread in the United States.[9]
The wood is known to produce phenolic substances that can cause contact dermatitis.[13]
Uses
Template:Main The tree is more known for its fruit rather than for its timber. However, mango trees can be converted to lumber once their fruit-bearing lifespan has finished. The wood is susceptible to damage from fungi and insects.[14] The wood is used for musical instruments such as ukuleles,[14] plywood and low-cost furniture.[15]
Culture
The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and is the national tree of Bangladesh.[16]
Gallery
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Young mango tree
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Mature mango tree
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Tree with unripe fruits
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Mango flowers
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Baby mangoes
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Typical South Asian mangoes
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Typical Southeast Asian mangoes
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References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Mango (Mangifera indica L.). In: Fruits of Warm Climates; New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University(1987). Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Flowers of India
- ↑ USDA Plant guide, Mangifera indica L..
- ↑ The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Skyhorse Publishing(2009). ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0
- ↑ Flowering of mango
- ↑ A global guide to pickles. The Guardian(2013-10-22). Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ↑ SEA Hand Book 2009, Solvent Extractors' Association Of India
- ↑ Characterization and quantitation of polyphenolic compounds in bark, kernel, leaves, and peel of mango (Mangifera indica L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry({Template:Year).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Urushiol CASRN: 53237-59-5 TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network) NLM (NIH). Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Genetic Map of Mango: A Tool for Mango Breeding. Frontiers in Plant Science({Template:Date).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Population genomic analysis of mango (Mangifera indica) suggests a complex history of domestication. New Phytologist({Template:Date).
- ↑ Template:GRIN
- ↑ Handbook of natural toxins{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Dekker(1983). ISBN 0824718933
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mango. The Wood Database. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ↑ Economic importance of Mangifera indica. Green Clean Guide. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ↑ Mango tree, national tree(15 November 2010). Retrieved 16 November 2013.
Further reading
- Litz, Richard E. (ed. 2009). The Mango: Botany, Production and Uses (2nd edition). CABI. Template:ISBN.
External links
- Template:Commons inline
- Template:Wikispecies inline
- Template:Cookbook inline
- Crop of the Day: Mango, Mangifera indica has a list of helpful resources about this species.
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