In reply to:

man[go[steen 7ma%4g! stcn#8
n.
5Malay mangustan6
1 an edible East Indian fruit somewhat like an orange, with a thick, reddish-brown rind and sweet, white, juicy, segmented pulp
2 the tree (Garcinia mangostana) of the Saint Johnswort family, on which it grows

Yes, a mangosteen (Indonesian manggis) is quite like an orange except the colour, taste, rind, and segmentation are different.

I would've said the rind was purple myself. It's much thicker than orange peel and is very bitter. The juicy inside of the rind is a powerful dye -- you don't want to get it on your clothes.

The inside is white and about the shape and size of the inside of a mandarin, with similar segments.

I've heard it said that the mangosteen was Queen Victoria's favourite fruit and that she offered a large reward to anyone who could get them back to Inggris in good condition. Quite where she tasted them I don't know, as she never came out this way.

For a picture see: http://www.i-2.co.id/travel/fruit_template.asp?ID=10

Bingley


Bingley