Mangifera indica L.

Tree 5-40 m high, the branches glabrous. Leaves with petioles 0.8-6.2 cm long; blades oblong-lanceolate to oblong or narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apically acu-minate or acute (rarely obtuse), basally cuneate to narrowly obtuse, 9-36 cm long, 2-7 cm broad, subcoriaceous or coriaceous, marginally straight or subundulate, glabrous on both surfaces, often glossy above and with prominulous or prominent reticulation. Panicles 15-50 cm long, densely flowered, pyramidal, the branches irregularly pilosulous and often spreading. Flowers 5-merous, the pedicels 0.5-4(-6) mm long; calyx-segments ovate-lanceolate, concave, 1.5-3 mm long, externally pu-bescent, spreading but arcuate and the distil portion ascending; petals oblanceolate or obovate to oblong, acute to obtuse or rounded, plicate toward the base, each producing a ventro-basal flap of tissue extending between the lobes of the disc, yellow or cream or pink (the ventral ridges often dark-red or rose-colored and imparting a streaked appearance to the corolla), 3-5 mm long, spreading or some-what ascending, strongly recurved at the tip; disc consisting of 5 separate (some-times apically coalescent) tumid cushions in a whorl between the stamens and petals and alternate with the petals; stamens 5, 1 large and fertile, the rest reduced to staminodes; ovary obliquely subglobose or ovoid, the style slender, often subequal in length to the fertile stamen. Drupes large (from 6 cm), often oblong or subreni-form, frequently yellow externally (varying from yellow to green or apricot), the mesocarp thick and juicy, often orange or yellow in color.

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows from sea level up to 1,600 m altitude in the tropics. It does best in areas below 700 m and with a dry season. Rain and high humidity at flowering reduces fruit set. It thrives best where temperatures are about 25°C but will grow with temperatures between 10 and 42°C. Temperatures of 0°C will damage young trees and flowers. Low temperatures (10-20°C) at flowering time will reduce fruiting. As temperatures get lower due to latitude or altitude, fruit maturity is later and trees become more likely to only have good crops every second year. Mangoes can grow on a range of soils. In wetter areas soils with less clay are better. They can withstand occasional flooding. A soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is best. Soils with pH above 7.5 cause plants to develop iron deficiency. It grows in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It suits hardiness zones 11-12. In Yunnan.

Uses. In India the mango has been cultivated for over 4000 years and is now said to have nearly 1000 horticultural varieties or cultivars. There are several institutes and experimental stations for research on this economically important fruit tree. For detailed information on its botany, classification of cultivars, names of (important) cultivars, uses, etc., I refer to the following publications which contain also extensive literature: P. J. WESTER The Mango. Bull. Bur. Agr. Philip. 18 1920 1-70 , figs.; K. HEYNE Nuttige Planten 1927 967-969 S. K. MUKHERJEE The Mango. Econ. Bot. 7 1953 130-160 figs. L. B. SINGH The Mango 1960, repr. 1968 1-438 figs. Leonard Hill London .In Java and Malaya the number of races or varieties cq. cultivars is legion, mostly unfixed: that is to say, they do not reproduce themselves truly from seed, which is why mango growers rely on grafting for retaining valuable trees.Mango trees fruit in the fourth year from seed, but OCHSE said after 6—8 years.

Trees are grown by planting fresh seed and they can be transplanted. Mangoes vary in their ability to breed true from seed. When more than one seedling emerges from the seed some of these are asexual and breed true. Clean seed germinate best if they are treated at 50°C for 20 minutes, then planted on their edge with the round bulge upwards and near the soil surface. The husk around the seed should be removed. Seeds germinate in 3-6 weeks. The strongest growing seedlings from this seed are used and the others thrown away. The seedlings from the folds of the seed are vegetative while the seedling from the centre of the seedling near the stalk end may be sexual and show variation from type. Other seeds only produce one seedling and these normally vary and can be different from the parent tree. Plants can be propagated by budding, or by grafting using in-arching. This is not easy. Cuttings grow with care. In wetter places flowers need to be protected with fungicides to enable fruit to form. If organic manure is used this should not be directly in the planting hole nor immediately against the new plant. Young transplanted seedlings need regular watering. A spacing of 6-12 m between plants is used. Wind protection is advisable to prevent fruit rubbing and getting damaged. Trees should only ever be lightly pruned as fruit develop on new growth and heavy pruning can reduce flowering. Flowering can be brought about by foliar sprays of potassium nitrate.