Scientific Name : Mangifera indica L.
Common Name : Mango
Chinese Name : 杧果
Family : ANACARDIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | Originated from India, therefore the specific epithet is “indica (of India)”. It is also distributed throughout Bangladesh, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia. |
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| Applications | The Mango is a famous tropical fruit, making it an economic crop. Its sweet and sour flesh, special taste and rich fragrance left behind upon consumption have made it a popular fruit. A large variety of cultivars exists, and a number of different varieties are planted in South China to supply the market. Everyone knows that the fruit of Mango is edible, but did you also know that it can be used as a street tree? The Mango has a straight trunk with a spherical crown. Not only creates an attractive outward appearance, but also provides shade, leading to its popularity as a street tree in South China. Amongst these places, there is the “Mango Road” in the South China Botanical Garden of Guangzhou, where Mango trees line either side of the road and create a spectacular view. In Hong Kong, Mango trees are also a relatively common garden plant. Additionally, the bark and leaves of the Mango can be used to extract yellow dye. Applied in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the fruit of Mango can be used to benefit the stomach and promote body fluid, relieve vomiting and suppress coughs; while the fruit pits can tonify the stomach for dispersing food, eliminate phlegm and promote qi-flowing. |
| Toxicity | People who are allergic to the Mango should avoid ingestion or contact with it. Additionally, secretions from the pedicel of the fruit are slightly toxic and can cause skin inflammation, itching, and even erythema and blisters. When consuming Mango, avoid touching its pedicels. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
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| Height | To 20 m. |
| Stems | Bark of trunk greyish brown. |
| Leaves | Often clustered at branch apex. Oblong to oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate to acute, margin slightly undulate, leathery. Lateral veins over 15 pairs. Dark green and glossy adaxially, light green abaxially. Petioles base swollen. |
| Flowers | Small, dense and fragrant. Inflorescences terminal, branches spreading, densely pilose in light yellowish brown except corolla. Petals 5, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, recurved at maturity, pale yellow to white, turn purple later. |
| Fruits | Drupe, large and slightly compressed. Exocarp green, yellow to red when mature, slightly thick; mesocarp bright yellow, fleshy and thick, sweet; endocarp (kernel) compressed and hard. |
| Flowering period | January to April in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | May to November in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3721
Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Mangifera indica Linnaeus
― Plants of the World Online : Mangifera indica L.