Mangifera altissima
Also known as: Pahutan (Tagalog) · Paho (Bikol and Visayan regions) · Wild mango · Babae nga paho (in some Bicol usage)
Definition
Mangifera altissima, locally known as pahutan or paho, is a wild mango species native to the Philippines. Closely related to the cultivated mango (Mangifera indica), it grows as a large forest tree in lowland and lower montane forests from Luzon to Mindanao. Its small, fibrous fruits are too sour to eat raw for most tastes but are prized in many regions as a condiment, pickled green or mixed with salt, bagoong, or fish sauce. The species is also valued as a genetic resource for mango breeding.
Identities
| Database | Identifier |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Mangifera altissima |
| Wikidata | Q2249019 |
| DBpedia | Mangifera_altissima |
Also Known As
- Pahutan (Tagalog)
- Paho (Bikol and Visayan regions)
- Wild mango
- Babae nga paho (in some Bicol usage)
Examples and Analogies
The pahutan fruit is to the carabao mango what a crabapple is to an apple: a smaller, tarter wild cousin of a familiar cultivated fruit. A green paho sliced thin and dressed with salt and chili functions much like achara or burong mangga, lending sourness to grilled fish and rice meals. The tree itself can exceed cultivated mangoes in height, emerging above the forest canopy in mature stands.
Usage Scenarios
Fruits are harvested green for pickling and as a souring agent in sinigang-style dishes in Bicol and the Visayas, or allowed to ripen for limited fresh consumption. The timber is used locally for light construction and wood carving. Researchers use the species in mango germplasm collections because of its resistance traits and close relationship to commercial mango, and communities near remaining forests harvest fruit seasonally for rural markets.
Strategies
Conservation-minded management keeps pahutan as an overstory species in residual forests and integrates it in reforestation planting mixes for biodiversity. Germplasm collections maintained by institutions such as the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory preserve the species for mango improvement programs. Sustainable harvest protocols limit cutting for timber and encourage collection of fruit rather than felling of trees.
Security and Safety Measures
Because Mangifera altissima is a food and breeding resource, the main safeguards are legal: collection from protected areas is regulated, and germplasm exchange falls under national rules on plant genetic resources. Habitat protection in remaining lowland forests is the principal measure against loss of wild populations. As with mango, the sap contains urushiol-type allergens, so handlers of raw fruit and bark should avoid prolonged skin contact.
Historical Context
Pahutan has been gathered from Philippine forests long before formal botany described it in the nineteenth century, and it appears in early ethnographic accounts of wild food plants. Spanish-era naturalists included Philippine wild mangoes in regional floristic works. In the twentieth century the species gained scientific attention as breeders recognized the value of wild Mangifera relatives, and it is now flagged in national plant genetic resources inventories.
Challenges and Controversies
The species is threatened by the conversion and degradation of lowland forests, which have shrunk its habitat across the archipelago. Overharvesting of mature trees for timber reduces fruiting populations. Some confusion surrounds common names, since paho is used differently across regions, complicating market and conservation data. No major breeding program has yet fully exploited the species, which researchers cite as an underused opportunity.
Related Topic
Philippine Mango