The
mango is an edible
stone fruit produced by the tropical tree
Mangifera indica. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India, and is now cultivated across the world, having been introduced to East Africa by Arab and Persian traders in the 9th to 10th centuries and spread further into other areas around the world during the European colonial era. Ripe mangoes vary according to cultivar in size, shape, color, and sweetness. They have a waxy, smooth, and fragrant skin, which is variously yellow, orange, red, or green, and feature a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface. The fruits may be somewhat round, oval, or kidney-shaped, ranging from 5 to 25 centimetres (2 to 10 inches) in length and from 140 grams (5 ounces) to 2 kilograms (5 pounds) in weight. It is used in culinary products around the world. The mango is the national fruit of India and
M. indica is the national tree of Bangladesh. This photograph shows two mangoes grown in Brazil, one whole and one sectioned. The picture was
focus-stacked from 12 separate images.
Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus