Response: The mango and the avocado, in spite of having superficially similar fruit structure (leathery skin, fleshy interior, and a single large 'seed'), are not closely related. Technically, a mango is a fruit type known as a drupe, which has a very hard or stony tissue layer (the endocarp) surrounding the seed. This is the same type of fruit as a peach (though peaches and mangoes are not closely related, either). The peach pit is the stony endocarp. If you crack open the stony endocarp of a mango or peach, you will find a seed inside. On the other hand, an avocado is technically a berry. The structure in the center of the avocado is actually the seed itself ( a very large seed, indeed), and it is not surrounded by a stony endocarp. The mango (fruit of the species Mangifera indica) is a member of a plant family called the Anacardiaceae, which also includes cashews (Anacardium occidentale), and poison oak and poison ivy (species of Toxicodendron). Some people are so sensitive to the toxic oils produced in this family that they even get an irritating rash from eating mango flesh. The avocado (Persea americana) is a member of a different family, the Lauraceae, which also is the source of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) and bay leaves (Laurus nobilis). All evidence, including analyses of DNA sequence data, indicate that these two plant families, Lauraceae and Anacardiaceae, are quite distinct and not closely related to each other. The Lauraceae is part of a lineage that includes magnolias, and appears to have diverged very early in the evolution of flowering plants. The Anacardiaceae is part of a more recent diversification and is more closely related to families such as the Rutaceae (citrus) and Sapindaceae (maples and and their relatives).

jimmy
9/12/2003 09:53:38 AM

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