Wild Mangoes-An Incredible Wealth for Posterity

摘要

For an inquisitive mind,the transformation of the name amra to mango is as interesting as the transition of the fruit from the Himalayan foothills to the far corners of South America.Mango(Mangifera indica)itself comes in literally thousands of varieties with every wild plant bearing its characteristically featured fruits.The fruits come in a wide array of sizes,colours,pulp features and tastes.This diversity of mango fruits ultimately climaxes into a much higher culinary diversity and numerous end uses including medicinal ones.Mango(Mangifera indica)originated in north-eastern India,the Indo-Myanmar border region,and Bangladesh,where it is still found as a wild tree with very small fruits.It is also observed in the lower Himalayan tract,near Nepal,Bhutan,and Sikkim.Globally more than 60 species were listed showing the highest diversity in the heart of the distribution area of the genus Mangifera,i.e.,the Malayan Peninsula,Borneo,and Sumatra.Mango has been under cultivation for at least 4,000 years with over 1,000 varieties under cultivation.Most of these varieties were evolved as selections made from open-pollinated mango seedlings.Wealth of these wild mango varieties could be an incredible source of germplasm for evolving new varieties for the posterity.The present article performs a short tour in this mango wilderness through national and international literature for the enthusiastic students,researchers and farmers.