Introduction of the mango to Australia.
Johnson G. I.
Author Affiliation: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, GPO Box 1571, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 109 : 83-90
Abstract : Cultivated for millennia in India, the pan-tropical spread of the mango (Mangifera indica) has occurred over the last four centuries, but information regarding early distribution is mostly speculative. At least some cultivars may be interspecific hybrids, monoembryonic cultivars being largely of M. indica - Indian origin. Polyembryonic cultivars, are possibly M. indica × South East Asian species-hybrids. Despite putative Gondwana origins for the genus, mangoes are a post-European-colonization arrival in Australia, and have become a significant industry. While much is published about Australian native flora, less has been documented regarding the origins and arrival of horticultural crops to Australia, which, in the case of mango, occurred from 1823 onwards. A vigorous interest in plant introductions to northern Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, led to the emergence of a polyembryonic mango cultivar, Kensington, unique to the Australian industry. Kensington has exceptional aroma and flavour, and is possibly a hybrid with Indian × South East Asian parentage. Information on early introductions to Australia is summarized, some for the first time.