Page 284 - FRUTAS DEL TRÓPICO

284 Frutas del trópico

production of 27 966 749 mt, of which Mexico produced 5.4%. Mexican mango production
ranged from 1.6% to 3.1% of the world total in the years between 1961 and 1977, then in-

creased dramatically to 13.5% in 1981, dropping to 6.7% in 1985 and ranging from 6.8% to

5.4% in the years between 1989 and 2005 (Knight, 2006).

Mexico is an important producer of mangos for domestic consumption and for export,

notably to the U.S. and to Canada. Several thousand mango cultivars have been selected and

propagated in parts of the world where the crop is grown, and some of these have assumed

commercial importance through time. Among these are ‘Alfonso’ (India), ‘Ataulfo’ (Mexico),

‘Haden’, ‘Irwin’, ‘Kent’, ‘Keitt’ (U.S.), ‘Langra’ (India), ‘Manila’ (Mexico), ‘Pairi’ (India), ‘Tommy

Atkins’ (U.S.), and many more.

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims and P. edulis flavicarpa Degener)

Botany: The passion fruit belongs to the family Passifloraceae, to which some 400 species of

Passiflora belong. Among these are several species that have edible fruits, including Passiflora

laurifolia, P. ligularis, P. maliformis, P. molissima (naturalized in Mexico), and P. quadrangularis. Pas-

siflora is a genus that occurs naturally for the most part in the American tropics, with some out-

lier species occurring in nearby areas. Numerous other species and interspecific hybrids also
are cultivated as ornamentals because of their spectacular flowers or interesting foliage. Most

species of Passiflora are self-incompatible, and to ensure fruit production it is essential to plant

cross-compatible clones in close proximity and to make certain that populations of appropriate

pollen vectors (i.e. carpenter bees, Fam. Apidae Suborder Anthophoridae) are encouraged to

congregate in or near the growing field (Akamine and Girolami, 1959).

Economic importance: Fruit of the purple and yellow forms of P. edulis (parcha or maracu-

ya, and parcha amarilla) has been produced in commercial quantities in Australia, Brazil, New

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas