Page 454 - FRUTAS DEL TRÓPICO

454 Frutas del trópico

• Secondary centers of diversification —south Florida, Mexico, Brazil, Southeast Asia because

of commingling poly— and monoembryonic cultivars and subsequent crossing and selection

for superior types.

Botany of Mangifera indica – 2 main types
1. Indian types – those mangos that evolved in the subtropics of the Indian subcontinent are mo-

noembryonic and have one zygotic embryo per seed. Seedlings do not come true to seed.

The fruit are usually highly colored and posses limited disease resistance.

2. Indochinese types – those mangos that evolved in the tropical climates of the Maylay Archi-

pelago developed nucellar embryony in which numerous embryos develop from nucellar

(mother) tissue. The seed produces 1-13 genetically identical seedlings (the zygote may be

suppressed). The fruit develop green to yellow color and possess better disease resistance

than Indian types.

Botany – gross morphology
• Large trees to 9-31 m tall (non-pruned).

• Deep tap root system with the majority of the dense fibrous root system within 30-45 cm soil

surface.

• Mostly evergreen – leaf abscission rate is influenced by climate, disease pressures, and flowe-

ring.

• Leaves are simple and long-lived (2-5 years) and take about 40 days to mature.

• Terminal flower/fruit bearing. The inflorescence is a many branched terminal panicle with

300-4 000 polygamous flowers. Flowers are either male or hermaphrodite. Flowers are

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