Mangifera.
In Family Anacardiaceae > Subfamily Anacardioideae the Mango genus has approximately 65 species widely spread across Southeast Asia.
Mangifera indica is naturalised in Australia.
The mangos are separated from other Anacardiaceae genera by having simple undivided leaves.
They are large evergreen trees with a dense rounded crown and foliage sometimes nearly down to the ground.
The simple alternate leaves, near the branch ends are on a petiole up to 12 cm long.
The longest oblong to lanceolate blades, with a pointed tip are up to 45 cm long.
New growth is red to pink and mature leaves are dark green.
The lateral veins are prominent.
The branched inflorescences (panicles) are terminal but the midrib may continue growing past it as a leafy stem making them look lateral.
The conical panicles, branching 3 (4) times may have fine hairs on the reddish or green midrib and branches.
Each holds hundreds of mostly male flowers with only a few bisexual ones.
There are small bracts at the base of each branch and a bracteole under each flower.
There are 5 (4 to 7) sepals that may be slightly fused at the base.
The green concave sepals have fine hairs on the outer surface.
The 5 (4 to 7) white or pale yellow petals are longer than the sepals.
On the base of the upper surface are 3 (1 to 7) raised darker yellow veins.
Inside the petals is a 2 mm wide nectiferous disc with large fleshy lobes that alternate with the petal bases.
Inside the disc are 5 stamens or 10 in 2 whorls but only 1 (2) is fertile with the rest reduced to usually minute infertile staminodes.
The fertile stamen has a dorsifixed anther that opens inwards through longitudinal slits.
The 0.5 mm long anther changes from pink to purple.
The superior ovary (only present in bisexual flowers) has 1 (3) locules with one ovule.
The 2 mm long style is off centre or lateral and opposite the fertile stamen.
The fruit are round or slightly laterally compressed ovoid drupes.
The base has a small projection (beak) or a dot with a shallow cleft or sinus above it.
Up to 30 cm long and weighing 2 Kgs the skin is green with yellows and reds.
They have yellow or orange flesh around the flattened hard-coated seed.
J.F.
