Tropical Fruit of New Caledonia

The Post of New Caledonia  has issued the fruit stamp series depicted Citrus nobilis, Mangifera indica, Carica papaya in year 2008. he issue stamp consist of three postage stamp with different nominal value.

Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar (Burma) and the Yunnan province of China.Citrus fruit has been cultivated in an ever-widening area since ancient times.

Citrus juice also has medical uses; lemon juice is used to relieve the pain of bee stings. Oranges were historically used for their high content of vitamin C, which prevents scurvy. Scurvy is caused by vitamin C deficiency, and can be prevented by having 10 milligrams of vitamin C a day. An early sign of scurvy is fatigue.

Citrus nobilis as peculiar member of the citrus family seems to be a distinct species. It is a large shrub or small tree with dense foliage and small lanceolate leaves. The fruit is small, bright yellow, with quite thin skin that peels off freely and easily. It is known to the trade as "kid-glove orange." It is grown and shipped in a small way for the fancy markets on the Atlantic coast, in south Florida and the West Indies. 
 

 

Mangifera indica is a species of mango in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in the wild in India and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world. It is the largest fruit-tree in the world, capable of a height of 100 feet and an average circumference of 12 -14 feet.

The ripe fruit varies in size and color. Cultivars are variously yellow, orange, red or green, and carry a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, and which does not separate easily from the pulp.

The mango is generally sweet, although the taste and texture of the flesh varies across cultivars, some having a soft, pulpy texture similar to an overripe plum, while the flesh of others is firmer, like a cantaloupe or avocado, or may have a fibrous texture. Ripe, unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive resinous, sweet smell.

Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac that can cause urushiol-induced contact dermatitis in susceptible people.

The papaya  or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was first cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classical civilizations.

 

The papaya is a large tree-like plant, with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 metres tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50–70 centimetres  diameter, deeply palmately lobed with 7 lobes. The tree is usually unbranched, unless lopped. The flowers are similar in shape to the flowers of the Plumeria, but are much smaller and wax-like.

The papaya is also sometimes called mugua, a name used in traditional Chinese medicine for Chaenomeles speciosa (flowering quince) or Pseudocydonia sinensis (Chinese quince).

Papaya fruit is a rich source of nutrients such as provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, dietary minerals and dietary fiber. Papaya skin, pulp and seeds also contain a variety of phytochemicals, including polyphenols.The unripe green fruit can be eaten cooked, usually in curries, salads, and stews.