Mango Glossary

Mangifera indica is the scientific name of the cultivated mango, a species in the Anacardiaceae family. The genus contains other species, so not every plant called a wild mango is necessarily the same species as ordinary cultivated mangoes. Scientific naming helps separate species identity from cultivar names such as a named selection within the crop. For a collector, recording both the botanical name and the cultivar or accession source makes a plant record more informative than using a common name alone.