The word mango comes from the Portuguese manga, which is probably derived from the Malayalam (manna; pronounced "manga"). The word's first recorded attestation in a European language was a text by Ludovico di Varthema in Italian in 1510, as Manga; the first recorded occurrences in languages such as French and post-classical Latin appear to be translations from this Italian text. The origin of the -o ending in English is unclear. Mango trees (Mangifera indica L.) reach 35-40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The tree is long-lived with some specimens known to be over 300 years old and still fruiting. In deep soil the taproot descends to a depth of 20 feet, and the profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots also send down many anchor roots which penetrate for several feet. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15-35cm long and 6-16cm broad; when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10-40cm long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5-10mm long, with a mild sweet odor suggestive of lily of the valley. The fruit takes from three-six months to ripen. The ripe fruit is variable in sise and colour, and may be yellow, orange, red or green when ripe, depending on the grower.When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive resinous sweet smell. In its center is a single flat oblong seed that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, depending on the grower. Inside the seed coat 1-2mm thick is a thin lining covering a single embryo, 4-7cm long, 3-4cm wide, and 1cm thick.
... (tap for more)The papaya (from Carib via Spanish), is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classic cultures. It is sometimes called a "big melon" or a "paw paw" but the North American pawpaw is a different species, in the genus Asimina. It is a large tree-like plant, the single stem growing from 5-10m tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk; the lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50-70cm diameter, deeply palmately lobed with 7 lobes. The tree is usually unbranched if unlopped. The flowers are similar in shape to the flowers of the Plumeria but are much smaller and wax like. They appear on the axils of the leaves, maturing into the large 15-45cm long, 10-30cm diameter fruit. The fruit is ripe when it feels soft (like a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber-orange hue. The fruit's taste is vaguely similar to pineapple and peach, although much milder without the tartness. It is the first fruit tree to have its genome deciphered.
... (tap for more)The peach (Prunus persica) is known as a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. It is a deciduous tree growing to 5-10 m tall, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus within the genus Prunus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. A medium peach has 30 calories, 7g of carbohydrate (6g sugars and 1g fibre), 1g of protein, 140mg of potassium, and 8% of the daily value (RDA) for vitamin C.
... (tap for more)The pear is an edible pomaceous fruit produced by a tree of genus Pyrus. The pear is classified within Maloideae, a subfamily within Rosaceae. The apple (Malus ×domestica), which it resembles in floral structure, is also a member of this subfamily. The English word pear is probably from Common West Germanic pera, probably a loanword of Vulgar Latin pira, the plural of pirum, akin to Greek api(r)os, which is likely of Semitic origin. The place name Perry can indicate the historical presence of pear trees. The term "pyriform" is sometimes used to describe something which is "pear-shaped". Pears are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, E1, copper and potassium. Pears are the least allergenic of all fruits. Because of this, it is sometimes used as the first juice introduced to infants. Pears can be useful in treating inflamation of mucous membranes, colitis, chronic gallbladder disorders, arthritis, and gout. Pears can also be beneficial in lowering high blood pressure, controlling blood cholesterol levels, and increasing urine acidity. Most of the fibre in Pears is insoluble, making pears a good laxative. The gritty fibre content may cut down on the number of cancerous colon polyps. Most of the vitamin C, as well as the dietary fibre, are contained within the skin of the fruit.
... (tap for more)Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible tropical plant and also its fruit. It is native to the southern part of Brazil, and Paraguay. This herbaceous perennial plant grows to 1.0-1.5m tall with 30 or more trough-shaped and pointed leaves 30-100cm long, surrounding a thick stem. The pineapple is an example of a multiple fruit: multiple, helically-arranged flowers along the axis each produce a fleshy fruit that becomes pressed against the fruits of adjacent flowers, forming what appears to be a single fleshy fruit. Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned and is available as a juice or in juice combinations. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail. While sweet, it is known for its high acid content (perhaps malic and/or citric). Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation. It is one of the most commercially important plants which carry out CAM photosynthesis. Pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which breaks down protein. Pineapple juice can thus be used as a marinade and tenderiser. These enzymes can be hazardous to someone suffering from certain protein deficiencies or disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Raw pineapples also should not be consumed by those with Hemophilia or by those with kidney or liver disease, as it may reduce the time taken to coagulate a consumer's blood. Consumers of pineapple have claimed that pineapple has benefits for some intestinal disorders; others claim that it helps to induce childbirth when a baby is overdue. Pineapple is a good source of manganese (91% rda in a 1 cup serving), as well as containing significant amounts of Vitamin C (94% rda in a 1 cup serving) and Vitamin B1 (8% rda in a 1 cup serving).
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