mango

A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica. It is believed to have originated in southern Asia, particularly in eastern India, Bangladesh, and the Andaman Islands. M. indica has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times resulting in two types of modern mango cultivars: the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type". Other species in the genus Mangifera also produce edible fruits that are also called "mangoes", the majority of which are found in the Malesian ecoregion. Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size, shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color, which may be pale yellow, gold, green, or orange. Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines, while the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh. Etymology The English word mango (plural "mangoes" or "mangos") originated in the 16th century from the Portuguese word manga, from the Malay mangga, and ultimately from the Tamil man ("mango tree") + kay ("fruit"). The scientific name, Mangifera indica, refers to a plant bearing mangoes in India. Description