Mango (Mangifera indica) -Trees of India

March 23rd, 2007 | admin

Mango (Mangifera indica) is a delicious tropical fruit abundant in Kerala and all parts of India. There are thousands of variations of mango. They range in size and taste.

The term mango comes from either Malayalam ‘manga’ or Tamil ‘maangai’. The trees reach up to 35 meters height, abundantly branched, and with long leaves. Flowers appear as bunches. Raining during the flowering season can affect fruiting. There are many instances where the flowers are lost due to a shower or a small rain.

A single mango may weight up to 2.5 kg, however normal sized mangoes weigh 300 gm or less. Mango fruit is a drupe. Red is the common color of ripe mangoes. There are however variety that has yellow skin.

The trunk is used for furniture, but is not as stable as many other timber trees. Freshly cut and sawed timber is kept under water for six to eight weeks as a measure of strengthening the timber. It is then used in the manufacture of almost all kinds of domestic furniture.

The ripe leaves form a natural toothbrush. Many villages still have the practice of tearing away the central vein and coiling the blade of the leave for brushing.