Mangifera indica
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Mangifera indica or Mango is a very popular fruit in India and all parts of the world. It is famous for its bright yellow color and exquisite taste. The most popular variety of Indian mango is the "Alphonso".It is a crop of great economic importance to India and is cultivated in many parts of the country.
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- Species identity and nomenclature
- Current Wikipedia entry
- Binomial Classification
- Morphological features
- Habitat and Geographical Spread
- Maps
- Medicinal Importance
- Cultural significance
- Commercial importance and cultivation
- Summary of PubMed articles
- Summary of NCBI molecular data
- External Links
- Images and Videos
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Names of users who have contributed to this species page | Supriyak, Gauravm | |
Date on which this page was first created | 2010/05/29 | |
This page was last modified on: | 21 November 2010 00:33:40 | |
Name of the species | Mangifera indica | |
ID on Encyclopedia of Life | 582270 | |
Synonyms | Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms. | |
Common English Names | Mango | |
Common Hindi Names | आम Am | |
Common Indian names | आम Am (Hindi); Heinou (Manipuri); மா Ma (Tamil); Mamidi (Telugu); Mangga (Malayalam); Mavina mara (Kannada); Amba अंबा (Marathi); Ambo आंबॉ (Konkani) | Flowers of India |
Origins/Meanings of the common names | The word Mango is supposedly derived from the Malayalam word Mangga, through the Portuguese word Manga. Mango has been cultivated for several centuries in South-East Asia.
The species appears to have been domesticated about 4,000 years ago. The species was first moved around 400-500 BC from northeastern India to east Asia; next, in the 15th century to the Philippines; and then, in the 16th century to Africa and Brazil by the Portuguese.The species was described for science by Linnaeus in 1753. It is the National fruit of both Pakistan and India respectively, it finds mention in the songs of 4th century AD Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa, prior to it is believed to have been tasted by Alexander (3rd century BC) and Chinese pilgrim, Hieun Tsang (7th century CE). Later in 16th century Mughal Emperor, Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh |
Wikipedia |
Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life
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Taxonomy filled in form

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Taxon | Value |
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Regnum (Kingdom) | Plantae |
Division | Angiospermae (Unranked) |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Sapindales |
Family | Anacardiaceae |
Genus | Mangifera |
Source of data | ' |
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Class | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
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Magnoliopsida | Magnoliopsida is the scientific name for dicots. This class contains about ~1,99,350 species of Angiosperms. Eudicots are a subset of Dicots. Based on chloroplast DNA sequences, the divergence date between monocots and dicots is estimated to be ~200 million years, with a 40 million years uncertainty. | Dicots are diverse in habit, with half of all the species being more or less woody-stemmed - a reflection of the usual presence of a vascular cambium in the class. Annuals, biennials, vines, epiphytes, aquatics, parasites, and saprotrophs are also well represented in dicots. Vascular bundles of the stem are usually borne in a ring that encloses the pith. Vessel elements present except in some putatively primitive woody or aquatic families. Most dicots have a primary root system derived from the radicle, although some have an adventitious root system commonly seen in the class of monocots. Cotyledons are usually 2, seldom 1, 3, or 4. Leaves are mostly net-veined. |
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Based on classification
More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.
Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life
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General morphology
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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General morphological features of the plant | Mango trees (Mangifera indica L.) grow 35–40 m (115–130 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10 m (33 ft). The mango tree is long-lived; some specimens still fruit after 300 years. | Agroforestry.net |
Seed dispersal mechanism | ||
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Bloom type | Perennial | USDA |
Life cycle of the plant |
How to identify this species
For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Type of plant | Woody (Tree/Shrub) | |
Plant height | More than 10 feet | |
Flower color | White | EoL.org |
Flower shape | ||
Floral symmetry | ||
Phyllotaxy of leaves | Alternate | |
Leaf shape | Oblanceolate | |
Is the leaf petiolated or sessile? | ||
Is the leaf simple or compound? |
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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IUCN Conservation Status | Data Deficient | EoL |
Indian States in which the species has been documented | Assam,Andhra Pradesh,Arunachal Pradesh,Bihar,Chhatisgarh,Delhi,Goa,Gujarat,Himachal Pradesh,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Kerala,Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra,Manipur,Meghalaya,Mizoram,Orissa,Punjab,Rajasthan,Sikkim,Tamil Nadu,Tripura,Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal | Plant Database of India, Gauravm |
Locations at which the species has been documented | ||
Biotic zones inhabited | Northeastern Himalayas, Northwestern Himalayas, Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, Central Deccan Plateau, East Coast, West Coast, Indo-Gangetic Plain, Outlying Islands | Based on data from Plant Database |
Details about the habitat | ||
Is this species native to India? | Yes | HorticultureWorld,based on Popenoe 1920 |
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions? | No | |
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats? | No | |
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats? | No |
More plants native to India
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If no maps are displayed below, it means the required data is absent. Click on "Edit with form" button on top of the page to add this information.
{{#generateMap:Assam,Andhra Pradesh,Arunachal Pradesh,Bihar,Chhatisgarh,Delhi,Goa,Gujarat,Himachal Pradesh,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Kerala,Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra,Manipur,Meghalaya,Mizoram,Orissa,Punjab,Rajasthan,Sikkim,Tamil Nadu,Tripura,Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal|Mangifera_indica_brahma.svg|align=center}}
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Does this species have any medicinal use? | Yes |
Other plants of the same family having medicinal use:
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Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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General types of ailments this species is used for treating | Infectious diseases, Nutritional deficiencies, Systemic disorders, Organ-specific disorders | |
Specific ailments for which the species is used | Diarrhea, Dysentery, Urethritis, Rheumatism, Diphtheria, Scabies, Hemorrhages, Hemorrhoids, Fever, Chest pains, Diabetes, Hypertension, Toothaches | EoL |
Medicinal systems which use this plant | Ayurveda, Folk Medicine | EoL |
Details of Medicinal use | The twigs and leaves, used to clean the teeth, are said to be beneficial to the gums, while the bark is said to be useful for toothaches. The astringent stomachic bark is also used for internal hemorrhages, bronchitis, and catarrh.
The resin is used for cracked feet, ringworm, and other fungi, syphilis, and to induce sweating. Smoke from the burning leaves is believed to cure various throat disorders, from asthma to hiccups. Dried mango flowers, containing 15% tannin, serve as astringents in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery, catarrh of the bladder and chronic urethritis resulting from gonorrhea. Green fruits are considered anticholeric (baked and mixed with sugar and taken internally and also rubbed over the body), antidysmenorrheic, antiscorbutic, astringent, and diaphoretic. Roasted green fruits are dissolved in sugar water and taken internally to prevent sunstroke. Ripe fruits are considered diuretic, laxative, and unguent. A gruel made of the seeds is taken internally for bleeding piles. The wood is favored for making shovels. The bark contains mangiferine and is astringent and employed against rheumatism and diphtheria in India. The resinous gum from the trunk is applied on cracks in the skin of the feet and on scabies, and is believed helpful in cases of syphilis. Mango kernel decoction and powder (not tannin-free) are used as vermifuges and as astringents in diarrhea, hemorrhages and bleeding hemorrhoids. The fat is administered in cases of stomatitis. Extracts of unripe fruits and of bark, stems and leaves have shown antibiotic activity. In some of the islands of the Caribbean, the leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for diarrhea, fever, chest complaints, diabetes, hypertension and other ills. A combined decoction of mango and other leaves is taken after childbirth. |
EoL |
Parts of the plant used for treatment | Stem, Bark, Leaves, Flower, Other | EoL |
Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known. | ||
Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant | ||
Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known? | Yes | |
Details of molecular basis of action | Mangiferin, 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C2-beta-D-glucoside, is a xanthone derivative which has been proposed to have antiviral, antiproliferative and antioxidant properties. It has gastroprotective and anti-diabetic activities too. | Yoshimi2001, Google search |
Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known? | ||
Details of the toxic effects of the plant species | ||
Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant? | ||
Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species |
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations? | Yes | User-reported |
Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations | Leaves, Flower, Fruit | |
Details of use in food preparations | ||
Does this species have any religious significance? | Yes | User-reported |
Religions which mention/give significance to this species | Hinduism | |
Religious occasions | Hindu Puja, Diwali | Plantcultures |
Details of religious use |
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Is this plant cultivated commercially in India? | Yes | Gauravm |
Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated | Human consumption, Medicinal use, Ornamental use, Religious use | Gauravm |
Plant parts of commercial value | Leaves, Fruit | Gauravm |
Products where this plant is used | User-reported | |
Description of use | Mango is used in several cooking preparations. Fruit pulp is used for making chutneys, pickles, sweets and juices. Mango leaves are used for making garlands for religious occasions in Hinduism. | Gauravm |
States where this plant is cultivated commercially | Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh | Gauravm |
Best period for planting this plant | ||
Best period for harvesting this plant | ||
Method of propagation | Seeds | |
Water requirement of this plant | ||
Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation | ||
Other considerations while cultivating this plant | Major pests are mango fly, mango shoot caterpillar, mites, scales and thrips. Mango trees are also affected by mango decline, a problem associated with micronutrient deficiency. Diseases include: anthracnose, which affects fruits, inflorescences and foliage; powdery mildew on inflorescences; and mango scab . Internal breakdown of the fruit is an important problem, the cause of which has not yet been determined. Alga spot attacks flowers, young fruit, twigs and leaves. | EoL - Trends and Threat |
Pubmed Word cloud
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- If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
- If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
- Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:
- Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
- Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
- Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue
{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Mangifera indica }}
Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
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Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species | On NCBI, mostly ribosomal ITS2 sequences and microsatellite marker sequences are available. Research has also focused on medicinal properties of Mangiferin, a xanthoid derivative obtained from Mango leaves. | NCBI Site search |
Are herbarium specimen available for this species? | ||
Institutes having herbarium samples |
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
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References
Yoshimi2001 (Journal) : Yoshimi et al (2001),The inhibitory effects of mangiferin, a naturally occurring glucosylxanthone, in bowel carcinogenesis of male F344 rats., Cancer Lett.:163(2):163. doi={{{doi}}}
FlowersofIndia (Web): Flowers of India, Accessdate=2010-05-29
HorticultureWorld,based on Popenoe 1920 (Web): Mango entry on Horticulture World, Accessdate=2010-07-26
Agroforestry (Web): Agroforestry Entry on Mangifera indica, Accessdate=2010-06-11
EoL (Web): Mangifera indica on Encyclopedia of Life, Accessdate=2010-06-11
Mangifera.org (Web): Mangifera entry, Accessdate=2010-06-11
USDA (Web): [{{{url}}} USDA entry on Mangifera indica], Accessdate=2010-06-11
Plant Database of India (Web): Entry on Mangifera indica, Accessdate=2010-07-26