Common Name: Bachang

General Information

Mangifera foetida is densely-crowned, deciduous tree with a dense, globose crown of massive branches; it usually grows up to 20 metres tall, though specimens 30 - 40 metres tall have been recorded. The long, very straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 100cm in diameter and is free of buttresses[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a foo, medicine and source of wood and dyestuff. It is widely cultivated for fruit in its area of origin[]. The tree has upright inflorescences and looks particularly beautiful when flowering[].
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The sap of the tree is an irritant[].
The fresh fruit contains an irritant juice which may inflame the lips and mouth[]. At maturity the irritant juice is restricted to the skin of the fruit[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia to New Guinea.

Habitat

An upper canopy tree in primary lowland forest in the wet tropics, at elevations ascending to 1,500 metres[]. Usually growing on hillsides and ridges on sandy soils[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the hot, moist tropical lowlands, adapted to areas with abundant rainfall, evenly distributed over the year[]. It can be cultivated in areas with a monsoon climate[, , ]. Succeeds at elevations up to 1,000 metres, occasionally to 1,500 metres[].
Young plants are tolerant of quite deep shade but later on also grow well in full light[].
Different forms of the fruit are recognized by local people. Small, almost globose fruits (e.g. 'limus piit' in West Java) are consistently distinguished from large and more oblong ones which are commonly sold in Malay markets[]. There is also another kind, with large, oblong fruits, remarkable for being hardly fibrous, and finer textured[]. In West Java, it is called 'limus tipung' ('tipung' meaning flour, referring to its fine texture). A similar kind ('asem linggau') was found in East Kalimantan, with, moreover, a large proportion of fruit having abortive seeds. Sizeable variability in fruit characters is recorded in Borneo, particularly in South Kalimantan[]

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The fruit contains an irritant juice which may inflame the lips and mouth - when the fruit is fully ripe the irritant juice is restricted to the skin, so the flesh can be eaten fresh if it is peeled fairly thickly[]. A sweet and tasty fruit, in spite of its strong turpentine smell, and the taste is sometimes likened to durian. Much liked by some, though it is not generally valued as a table fruit[, ].
The unripe fruits, washed in salted water and then sliced, are used in vegetable salads ( known as 'rujak') and in a sour pickle ('asinan')[]. The fruit can be used in place of tamarind (Tamarindus indicus) as an acid ingredient in the preparation of sambal[].
The fruit is variable in size and shape, an obliquely ovoid-oblong or almost globose drupe, 9 - 14cm and 7 - 12cm wide, containing a single, large seed[].

The grated seed, with the addition of oncom (Monilia fermented soybean), sugar, tersai (fermented fish) and salt is used to make a sambal known as 'pelok limus'[].

Medicinal

The leaves are said to be antipyretic[].

The seeds are used against trichophytosis, scabies and eczema[].

Although the sap irritates the skin, it is used as a lotion to treat ulcers[].

Other Uses

The plant has proved to be a suitable rootstock for cultivars of mango (M. indica) in a moist climate[]. Some growers doubt this because of swellings at the union[].

The sap is used in tatooing[]. It i used to deepen tattoo scars[].

The wood is a source of 'machang' timber[]. We do not have a specific description for the wood of this speices, but a general description of machang timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is light brown or light grey brown, occasionally with chocolate or black streaky coreword; it is not clearly differentiated from the wide band of sapwood. The texture is moderately coarse to coarse and even; the grain interlocked and wavy. The wood is moderately heavy to heavy; moderately hard; not durable under exposed conditions, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The wood seasons somewhat rapidly with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It can be worked with ordinary tools, there is a slight difficulty resawing when green, but is easy when dry; planing is easy but the surface produced is moderately smooth with grain pick-up on the radial side; nailing and screwing is excellent; gluing is correct. The wood is suitable for light construction, turnery, flooring, interior panelling, boxes, crates, pallets and plywood manufacture[]. Corewood can be used for decorative veneer production[, ]. The streaked heartwood is suitable for the manufacture of furniture[].

Propagation

Seed. Seedlings require much moisture and light shade[]. The tree breeds true from seed[].

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