Editing Mangifera foetida

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Bachang (''Mangifera foetida'')
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Mangifera foetida''
|-
! Common names
| Bachang, horse mango, bambangan, machang
|-
! Genus
| [[Mangifera]]
|-
! Family
| [[Anacardiaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Sapindales]]
|-
! Native range
| Indo-China to western Malesia
|-
! Habit
| Large evergreen tropical fruit tree
|-
! Fruit size
| 9–14 (occasionally 16) × 7–12 cm
|}

'''Mangifera foetida''', commonly called bachang, horse mango, bambangan or machang, is a large tropical fruit tree native from Indo-China to western Malesia. The accepted range includes Borneo, Cambodia, Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand and Vietnam.<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup> Its fruit is variable in shape, texture and seed development, and the ripe flesh is strongly turpentine-scented in the forms described in regional accounts.<sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Description ==

Bachang is a large tree; regional descriptions give mature trees as about 30–35 m tall in suitable wet-tropical conditions.<sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> The fruit is variable, generally about 9–14 cm long and 7–12 cm wide, with some descriptions extending the length to 16 cm. The skin is thick, while the flesh is yellow to pale orange and fibrous. A strong turpentine-like smell and taste are characteristic of the forms described in the regional accounts. Seeds are described as monoembryonic, and local forms include fruit with finer flesh or abortive seeds.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

Bachang is associated with wet tropical lowlands and abundant, fairly evenly distributed rainfall. Its native setting points to a planting site with dependable moisture rather than a dry-season fruit-tree regime. The tree is large, so orchard or permanent-landscape planting needs substantial clearance; an orchard spacing of about 14–16 m is described for the species.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Soil and water ===

Keep young plants supplied with moisture during establishment. The practical requirement is especially clear for seedlings, which are described as needing much moisture. A consistently moist lowland planting position is a closer match to the documented ecology than a site that regularly dries hard between irrigations.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Use a deep, fertile planting area that can hold moisture while remaining workable after heavy rain.

=== Sun and humidity ===

Seedlings tolerate shade and are described as benefiting from light shade during early growth. Once established, plants can be moved toward or grown in full light. The species' wet-tropical lowland ecology supports warm, humid conditions, while the shade-to-sun transition gives young trees protection before permanent exposure.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

=== Seasonal changes ===

The flowering and ripening calendar varies by locality. In Sarawak, flowering is recorded from May to August and ripening from August to November; in East Kalimantan, flowering is recorded from April to September and ripening from August to January. West Java harvest is reported for October to December.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> These records describe regional wet-season rhythms rather than a universal calendar. In cultivation, maintain moisture through the local fruiting period and use the plant's flowering and fruit development to set the harvest calendar for the site.

== Propagation ==

Seed propagation is documented for bachang. During establishment, seedlings need plentiful moisture and light shade; later growth can proceed in full light.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> The seed is monoembryonic, so seed-grown trees should be treated as individual plants rather than assumed clonal copies of a selected fruit type.

Modified Forkert budding is also described, using non-petioled buds on one-year rootstocks during the dry season.<sup id="cite_ref-4">[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> Bachang has been described as a potentially suitable ''Mangifera indica'' rootstock in moist climates, but the same account records disagreement because swellings may develop at the graft union. Treat that combination as a compatibility trial rather than a universal rootstock recommendation.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Flowering and ripening are seasonal but location-specific. Sarawak records place flowering in May–August and ripening in August–November; East Kalimantan records place flowering in April–September and ripening in August–January. A West Java harvest window of October–December is also reported.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> The regional differences are large enough that a fixed month should not be transferred between climates.

The fruit is reported as being harvested during the rainy season in the regions described. Fruit size, shape, flesh texture and seed development vary among local forms, so these values are better used as a field range than as a cultivar specification.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Fruit and uses ==

Ripe bachang is eaten after the thick skin is removed. The ripe skin contains irritant juice that can inflame the lips and mouth, and the sap is also described as irritant; peeling and handling therefore require care. This food-use description is not a guarantee of individual safety, and people who react to irritant mango-family sap should avoid exposure.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Unripe fruit is used in salads, pickles, sambal and chutneys. Ripe flesh is yellow to pale orange, fibrous and strongly turpentine-scented or flavoured in the forms described. Local selections differ in texture and seed development, including fine-textured and abortive-seed forms, so eating quality should be judged from the individual tree rather than assumed from the species name alone.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/69898-1 Mangifera foetida Lour. | Plants of the World Online].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://prosea.prota4u.org/view.aspx?id=1830 Plant Resources of South East Asia record 1830: Mangifera foetida].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=18081 Agroforestree Species profile: Mangifera foetida].

* <span id="cite_note-4"></span>[[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://plantuse.plantnet.org/en/Mangifera_foetida_(PROSEA) Mangifera foetida (PROSEA) - Pl@ntUse].