The crop of the day:

The Mango, Mangifera indica

Anacardiaceae , Texas A & M
Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). 'The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.' Version: 22nd April 1999. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/anacardi.htm .
All about mango, research and development
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) , Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
Tropical Fruit Photography , a site by I. McGuire (University of Florida) with a wealth of pictures of tropical fruits
Mango - Mangifera indica , by M. Rieger, University of Georgia

Mango in the news:
- Following Pres. Bush's visit to India:
  - The Great Indian Aam-Bush

Mangifera indica - Mango
Botany and distribution Order of the Sapindales, family of the Anacardiaceae. Other families in this order include the Rutaceae (citrus), Aceraceae (maple), and Hippocastaneae (horse chestnut) Anacardiaceae (the sumac family; same family as cashew, smoketree , pistachio, peppertree, poison oak): wild Mangifera sp.: ~ 40 sp., all from S.E. Asia wild Mangifera indica: N.E. India Tree: 30-40 m tall Tropical climates at low altitude (monsoon climate); requires dry season for flowering and fruit set; absence of frost Domestication and dispersal Age of domestication : 4,000 BP (?) Dispersal Dispersal eastward: 400-500 BC to east Asia; reached the Philippines in 15th century Dispersal westward: 16th century: by Portuguese: Africa, Brazil	(Image from Hort15, Cornell Univ)
Reproductive system: outcrossing: both male and bisexual flowers in inflorescence hence, great variation among seedling; some apomixis--> vegetative multiplication of best cultivars	(Image from Hort15, Cornell Univ)
Domestication: selection for succulence: larger fruits low fibre low resin smaller pit
Vitamin A content

Level	ug retinol equivalent/kg	Crops
Medium	<500 ug	guava, kumquat, mandarin
High	<4000 ug	apricot, loquat, orange-fleshed melon, papaya, persimmon
Red pepper	6000 ug
Mango	12500 ug