Mangifera L.

Trees. Leaves spiral, simple, entire, glabrous, petioled. Inflorescences paniculate, terminal andfor axillary, often crowded at the apex of twigs, sometimes seemingly fasciculate. Flowers ♂ or bisexual on the same plant (plants andromonoecious); pedicels articulated. Calyx 4-or 5-lobed. Petals 4 or 5, imbricate, rarely contorted, glabrous outside, often with excrescences from the glands thickened into ridges on the inner surface, free (except in M. superba where they are partly adnate to the disk). Disk usually extra-, rarely intrastaminal, short-cupular, pulvinate, or stipelike, sometimes obsolete in ♂, rarely cylindric and torus-like (M. superba), often lobed, sometimes notched or furrowed, papillose or not. Stamens usually 5, rarely 10(-12, extra-Mal.), usually 1-2 fertile, the others much shorter and smaller (with imperfect or sterile anthers) or filamentous, very rarely 3-5, or all 5 fertile; filaments free or connate at the base; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary 1-celled, glabrous, abortive in ♂; style excentric or lateral; stigma simple, often slightly thicker than the style. Drupe 1-celled, resinous; mesocarp often fleshy and thick especially in cultivated spp.; endocarp (or stone) ligneous or fibrous. Seed with testa (1 or 2 layers) free from the endocarp, in a few species labyrinthine (testa present in the crevices of lobes or folds of cotyledons); embryo(s) straight; cotyledons planoconvex, mostly smooth, sometimes lobed or folded.

In forests, usually scattered, chiefly from sea-level to 600 m, more rarely up to 1000 m, occasionally recorded between 1000 and 1800 m. Cultivated spp. are grown usually below 600 m.Mango trees have generally rather thick trunks and often a massive dark-green crown. The largest tree ever recorded is of M. altissima, and was collected in Guadalcanal (Solomons), the easternmost limit of the genus; it measured 54 m, with a clear bole of 27 m.In the forest they occur generally scattered and some appear to be by no means common, some even very rare. M. gedebe can occur as a sub-codominant in the rapak type of swamp forest; N. inocarpoides is recorded as sometimes common in riverine forest.

Uses. One species of Mangifera, M. indica, is widely cultivated in the tropics for the popular fruit commonly called 'mango'; it has many cultivars. Besides the Indian mango, M. foetida, M. caesia, and M. odorata are in Malesia often planted for edible fruits or just as village trees; some other species are cultivated locally, e.g. M. griffithii, M. lagenifera, M. longipes, M. minor, M. pajang, M. similis, etc. M. pajang, described by KOSTERMANS ( KOSTERMANS Reinwardtia 7 1965 20 ) from Borneo, has globose to ellipsoid fruits c. 15 cm Ø (often more), with yellowish white, sweet-acid pulp. According to him, it "is a well-known cultivated and wild one, related to Mangifera foetidcT. The thick rind of the fruit can be peeled off like a banana when eaten. So far known the fruits "are the largest of the genus Mangifera and may reach dimensions of a small coconut". This species deserves special mention here for future experimental breeding in order to improve the quality of the fruit. The ripe fruits of M. indica and some other species are eaten raw. They are also used for making jams, jellies, and preserves. Unripe fruits are used for making pickles, chutneys, vinegar, etc. and sometimes are sliced and sun-dried for grinding into powder or making other preparations. In Mangifera the rind of unripe fruits and sometimes also some other parts of the trees may contain irritant sap and may cause inflammation when touched by susceptible persons. Because of the irritant sap the young fruits of M. foetida and M. odorata are not eaten by the people. The sap of the barks, even the vapour of freshly bruised tissues, the smoke from a bonfire of their leaves or raindrops from the crown of the following species may affect the skin: M. caesia, M. foetida, M. lagenifera, and M. odorata; cf. K. & V. Bijdr. 4 1896 97 CORNER Ways. Trees 1940 107 . In Java the young leaves of some races of M. indica are used as vegetable with the rice. Trees of some Mangifera spp. can attain a large size, e.g. M. caesia, M. foetida, M. pajang, M. similis, etc. The timber is used in many ways, e.g. for boards, doors, boxes, planking, etc., but it is not durable. For more details on uses see HEYNE Nutt. Pl. 1927 966-970 BURK. Dict. 1935 1400-1407 BALAN MENON Mal. For. 21 1968 38 .