Description

Mangifera torquenda is one of Borneo’s many wild mangoes which is little known outside of village markets. The fruits are about the size of navel oranges. Their flesh ranges in taste from sourish to quite sweet. It detaches easily from the seed and fresh fruits are quickly prepared by slicing them all the way around and twisting the sections in opposing directions like you would do with a peach. The fruit is used in the preparation of many local dishes including “Ulam” and is also highly desired for pickles. A beautiful species that should be more widely planted in the humid tropics and perhaps even in the subtropics.

Mangifera torquenda is a species of flowering plant, a fruit tree in the mango family, that is native to Southeast Asia.

The specific epithet torquenda (‘which is to be twisted’) refers to the method of opening the fruits by cutting around the outer skin and then twisting them. Local names include lamantan, kemantan and buniton.

The tree grows to 40 m in height with a 10 m bole and a dark green, rounded crown. The oval leaves are smooth, 17–21 cm long by 6–9 cm wide. The inflorescences occur as 25 cm pseudo-terminal panicles of fragrant, white to pale yellow flowers. The fruits are round to ovoid drupes 7.5–10 cm long by 6.5–8.5 cm wide, greenish-yellow when ripe, with brown spots and patches. The flesh is pale yellow and edible. The seed has a smooth white endocarp

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Rosids

Order: Sapindales

Family: Anacardiaceae

Genus: Mangifera

Species: M. torquenda

Binomial name

Mangifera torquenda