Botanical Characterization and Herbarium Specimens of Mangifera Species

Mangifera spp. belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. Twenty-two members of this genus have been collected at different living collections in Florida, including USDA Chapman Field–Subtropical Horticulture Research Station, the University of Florida Tropical Research Center, Fruit and Spice Park, and private collections. Individual plants, or parts of plants have been preserved and are stored at the Forestry Herbarium of the Distrital University Francisco Jose de Caldas, Bogota, Colombia UDBC and the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Herbarium in Miami, FL. These materials may include pressed and mounted plants, seeds, pollen, frozen DNA extracts, and fluid-preserved flowers. This research is aims to preserve samples so that current and future generations can identify Mangifera spp., study its biodiversity, and use the collection to support conservation, ecology, and sustainable development.