FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 175 Perrine 31.0 may readily be seen we still have a few Sarasota _„ 25.0 acres in this warm, and water-controlled, February 16, 1943: area for the expansion of the Tropical Fruit Morrison Field (West Palm Beach) 37.3 Industry. Delray Beach 32.0 In conclusion, another factor which no Homestead 25.7 doubt plays an important part in the tem Perrine 28.2 perature benefit enjoyed in this locality is Sarasota 26.8 directly attributable to soil characteristics. Iona (Ft. Myers) 31.3 This territory, without exception, is made In this area we have a drainage and up of mineral soils that radiate heat much irrigation set-up comprising 123,000 acres faster during cold weather than the organic with 600 miles of canals and a yearly Everglades soils. average rainfall of 66.47 inches for the Under the guidance of our able County past 14 years. In addition to the rainfall Agent, "Red" Mounts, and occasional visits we have an irrigation pumping capacity of by Johnnie Lynch from the Sub-Tropical 160,000 gallons per minute. In this warm Experiment Station at Homestead, you may sandy loam area there 11,869.74 acres in expect in the near future to hear more winter vegetables, and 20,000 acres in dair about this area and enjoy some of the ies, groves, pineapples and other uses. It fruits that meet every desire of a king. A KEY TO FLORIDA MANGO VARIETIES T. T. STURROCK, West Palm Beach and H. S, WOLFE, University of Florida, Gainesville One of the most interesting fruits which variety is found by a layman who wishes Florida produces on a commercial scale and to know what it is. The purpose of this which can hardly be produced elsewhere in study is to present a means by which these the continental United States is the mango. interested people may be able to identify While there are only a very few varieties these fruit. which are of commercial importance, there This study takes into consideration all are many varieties which have been intro varieties which are commonly grown in duced during the past half century from Florida or give promise of being widely other lands, and many other varieties which grown in the near future. As more varieties have originated here as seedlings. These come into prominence it is hoped that they fruits appear on local markets all over the can be added to this list and key. There southern end of the state and also are often are many seedling trees in gardens over the found on markets of northern Florida. southern part of the state which have been Nearly all Floridians know a mango when named by their owners or their friends, they see one, but most of them have heard but which exist as only a single specimen only of the Haden or the common Turpen tree or a few specimens. It has been neces tine seedlings, while the existance of other sary to limit this key to varieties- of wide much superior varieties is practically un distribution or of proven worth for pro known to them. Quite often an unfamiliar pagation. It has also been impossible to 176 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY include any varieties not now found in if this protuberance, although small, is the Florida, regardless of their importance in end of a curve forming the dorsal edge of other mango growing regions. A few varie the fruit and passing by the apex without ties not known outside the Palm Beach experiencing a sharp change in direction areas are included because of the senior (see Fig. B, Plate I) and with the presence author's intimate acquaintance with that of a definite concavity above this point. area. Several other characters, themselves Only fruit characters have been used in quite plain, may need some explanation in constructing this key, in order that it may regard +o their use in this key and these be of widest possible usefulness. It should descriptions. The "spots" occuring on the be stressed, however, that it is impossible to surface of the fruit are in connection with make any key which will cover all the pos lenticels (air holes) in the skin of the fruit. sible variations which may occur in the fruit These lenticels are present in the skin of all on even a single tree. Several fruit speci mango fruits, but their presence is conspic mens, which seem to be fairly representative uously marked with these spots in some var of the variety in question, should be used if ieties. These marks may vary in size from possible in "'keying out" varieties. very small "flecks" to quite sizable "spots", Some of the main characters used in this and in color from almost pure white to a key are as follows: relationship between the yellow and sometimes even with brown cen length and width of the fruit; coloration of ters. The number of these spots may be the ripe fruit—whether there was or was not few or it may be many. The "bloom" of a developed any red color; presence or ab plum is familiar to everyone, but its presence sence of a beak; conspicuousness of a nak; on the mango is less noticed. This "bloom" size (length); shape; presence or absence of is a slight "dusty" or "waxy" substance fiber; aroma; quality; presence or absence which can be easily rubbed from the skin and size of dots; character of apex; smooth of the fruit. In many cases where this con ness of skin; and whether the stem was on a dition does occur it is rubbed off by handling raised button or sunken. or in transit before it reaches the market. These characters are self-explanatory with Nevertheless, it is a character often over the possible exception of the terms "beak" looked in the, description of mango fruits. and "nak". The "nak" (see Fig. A, Plate I) The "blush" or "over-color" on mangos is is the stigmatic point; that is, the remnant influenced to some extent by the exposure of the spot on the ovary where the pistil of to sunlight. A fruit which has hung in the the flower was attached. This may be con shade has nowhere near the bright color that spicuous or inconspicuous, on a raised protu a fruit which' has hung exposed to full sun berance, level or sunken. It also may vary shine has. In many cases there will be in position from being on the apex of the fruit on the same tree which vary from ab fruit to being at a point about one-third the solutely no blush to a very bright blush ex way from the apex to the shoulder. If a tending over most of the fruit. The "aroma" beak is present tjie nak is on the tip of the is another variable character. Almost every beak. The "beak" itself is a lateral protub mango fruit has a certain amount of aroma erance more or less on a level with the apex in its make-up, but there are varieties such and making the apical end of the fruit very as the Amini which have so much aroma broad. In many cases there is no question that one fruit left overnight in a room will about the presence or absence of a beak, fill the room with its fragrance. A fruit but in other cases there is. For this study with such a strong aroma as this can be a fruit has been considered to have a beak keyed out from other less fragrant fruits if the stigmatic point ("nak") is on a later on the basis of this character alone. When al protuberance on a level with the apex or in this key a fruit is mentioned as having Sturrock and Wolfe — A Key To Florida Mango Varieties PLATE I Fr 8- ve-ntra.t shoulder G- width C- stem K- be^lt D-dorsal skovtder I-depressionz^boye 3"- basal cavity FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 177 a decided aroma, this latter condition is beak or an inconspicuous one, may or may meant. When a fruit is mentioned as being not have a prominent nak." As our fruit "heart shaped'9 it does not refer to the has no beak we look for the directions after conventional "valentine" heart shape, hut to the second statement and thus move to the shape of an animal's heart (a chicken couplet No. 27. Couplet No. 27 has the heart for example) in which the base is statements, "Fruit with a prominent nak" broad and flattened, the ventral shoulder is and "Fruit with no nak or an inconspicuous fairly high and full, the apex is rounded, one." As our fruit has a very inconspicuous and the ventral sides slope in a fairly even nak we decide on the second statement and curve from the shoulder to the apex with move on to couplet No. 30. The statements out a noticeable depression. which we find in couplet No. 30 say, "Fruit This key is grouped in pairs. A pair of with many fibers, turpentine flavor, poor contrasting characters is given and each quality, smaller than four inches long" and time a question is to be settled, one of these "Fruit with few or no fibers (or longer characters is accepted as being true while than four inches) and of fairly good qual the other is discarded as being false. The ity." As the second statement better fits instruction after the true statement is fol our fruits we proceed to couplet No.