- Garcinia mangostana (purple mangosteen) with white, edible endocarp
- Garcinia gardneriana (bacupari)
Garcinia | |
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Garcinia subelliptica , the fukugi tree | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Clusiaceae |
Tribe: | Garcinieae |
Genus: | Garcinia L. |
Species | |
Synonyms | |
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Garcinia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, America, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The number of species is disputed; Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognise up to 400. [1] Commonly, the plants in this genus are called saptrees, mangosteens (which may also refer specifically to Garcinia mangostana ), or garcinias, and is one of several plants known as by the name "monkey fruit".
Many species are threatened by habitat destruction, and at least one species, G. cadelliana , from South Andaman Island, is almost or even completely extinct already. [2]
The fruits are a food source for several animals, such as the archduke butterflies (Lexias spp.) of tropical eastern Asia which relish the sap of overripe mangosteens.
The genus is named after French botanist Laurent Garcin (1683–1751). [3]
Garcinia species are evergreen trees and shrubs, dioecious and in several cases apomictic. The fruit is a berry with fleshy endocarp, [4] which in several species is delicious. Among neotropical Garcinia several species are dioecious (G. leptophylla, G. macrophylla[ citation needed ] and G. magnifolia), although male and female trees have often been observed to have some degree of self-fertility.
The fruit of most species of Garcinia are eaten locally; some species' fruits are highly esteemed in one region, but unknown just a few hundred kilometres away. The best-known species is Garcinia mangostana , which is now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and other tropical countries, having become established in the late 20th century. Less well-known, but still of international importance, are kandis (G. forbesii) with small round red fruits with subacid taste and melting flesh, the lemon drop mangosteen (G. intermedia) with yellow fruit that look like a wrinkled lemon, and the thin-skinned orange button mangosteen (G. prainiana).
In addition, mangosteen rind (exocarp) extract is used as a spice. It figures prominently in Kodava culture, and G. multiflora is used to flavour and colour the famous bún riêu soup of Vietnam, where this plant is known as hạt điều màu. Garcinia gummi-gutta yields a spice widely used in South Asia, in particular in Kerala, where it is called kodumpulli.
Most species in Garcinia are known for their gum resin, brownish-yellow from xanthonoids such as mangostin, and used as purgative or cathartic, but most frequently – at least in former times – as a pigment. The colour term gamboge refers to this pigment.
Extracts of the exocarp of certain species – typically G. gummi-gutta, but also G. mangostana – are often contained in appetite suppressants, but their effectiveness at normal consumption levels is unproven, while at least one case of severe acidosis caused by long-term consumption of such products has been documented. [5] Furthermore, they may contain significant amounts of hydroxycitric acid, which is somewhat toxic and might even destroy the testicles after prolonged use. [6]
Bitter kola (G. kola) seeds are used in folk medicine. [7] G. mannii is popular as a chew stick in western Africa, [8] freshening the breath and cleaning the teeth.
G. subelliptica , called fukugi in Japanese, is the floral emblem of Mobuto and Tarama on Okinawa. The Malaysian town of Beruas – often spelled "Bruas" – derives its name from the seashore mangosteen ( G. hombroniana ), known locally as pokok bruas. It has been used for many years by certain[ which? ] African tribes as a tonic believed to increase 'energy levels' and to possess digestive and fat-busting properties[ dubious – discuss ][ citation needed ].
As of December 2024 [update] , Kew's Plants of the World Online lists more than 400 accepted species, [1] which include:
The genetic diversity of 22 Garcinia accessions was analyzed using peroxidase, RAPD markers, and gene sequence-specific amplification polymorphism (GSSAP). [9] Genetic diversity assessment revealed low genetic variation among them. [9] Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Garcinia species clustered into five groups at a mean similarity coefficient of 0.54. [9] This study showed that the G. magostana accessions can be clearly distinguished by combined peroxidase, RAPD, and gene sequence-specific amplification polymorphism. [9]
The almond is a species of tree from the genus Prunus. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by corrugations on the shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.
Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus Azadirachta. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of Southeast Asia, but is naturalized and grown around the world in tropical and subtropical areas. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil. Nim is a Hindustani noun derived from Sanskrit nimba (निंब).
Mangosteen, also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to Island Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. It has been cultivated extensively in tropical Asia since ancient times. It is grown mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia, Puerto Rico and Florida, where the tree has been introduced. The tree grows from 6 to 25 m tall.
Garcinia gummi-gutta is a tropical species of Garcinia native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Common names include Garcinia cambogia, as well as brindle berry, and Malabar tamarind. The fruit looks like a small pumpkin and is green to pale yellow in color.
Gamboge is a deep-yellow pigment derived from a species of tree that primarily grows in Cambodia. Popular in east Asian watercolor works, it has been used across a number of media dating back to the 8th century. Easy to transport and manipulate into a durable watercolor paint, gamboge is notable for its versatility as a pigment in how it has been used in paintings, printing of books, and garment dyes, including the robes of Buddhist monks. Gamboge is toxic to humans, and is potentially deadly in larger doses. Due to its toxicity and poor lightfastness, gamboge is no longer used in paints, though limited use continues in other contexts. Though used in a number of different contexts, Gamboge is known not to react well with citric acid surfaces therefore making it unsuitable for frescos and with white lead. For its popularity, Gamboge has not been extensively identified in works of art from any time period; the few instances wherein art historians have attempted to identify whether or not the pigment was used in a given work have confirmed its widespread use and its longevity as staple within watercolor painting particularly in eastern art.
Garcinia intermedia is a species of tropical American tree which produces edible fruit. In English it is known as the lemon drop mangosteen or sometimes monkey fruit. In Spanish it is called mameyito, though it is known as jorco in Costa Rica. In the Philippines, it is known as berba. In Portuguese it is called achachairu. The name achachairu is also applied to Garcinia humilis, another species native to Bolivia with larger, round or egg-shaped fruit. G. humilis has been commercialized in Australia under the name Achacha.
In botany, a berry is a fleshy fruit without a stone (pit) produced from a single flower containing one ovary. Berries so defined include grapes, currants, and tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, eggplants (aubergines), persimmons and bananas, but exclude certain fruits that meet the culinary definition of berries, such as strawberries and raspberries. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire outer layer of the ovary wall ripens into a potentially edible "pericarp". Berries may be formed from one or more carpels from the same flower. The seeds are usually embedded in the fleshy interior of the ovary, but there are some non-fleshy exceptions, such as Capsicum species, with air rather than pulp around their seeds.
Garcinia kola is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Mangosteen genus Garcinia of the family Clusiaceae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, The Gambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Garcinia dulcis is a tropical fruit tree native to the Philippines, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, eastern Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was domesticated early and spread inland into mainland Asia. It is commonly known as mundu or munu in Indonesia and Malaysia, baniti or taklang-anak in the Philippines, and maphuut or ma phut in Thailand. In English, it is sometimes known as yellow mangosteen, although that name is used for several other species as well.
Garcinia morella is a species of tree in the family Clusiaceae found in India, and Sri Lanka.
Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits.
Garcinia atroviridis, known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping is a large rainforest tree native to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. This species grows wild throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia atroviridis is a large perennial plant commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand and Malaysia.
Citrus taxonomy is the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus Citrus and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild.
Garcinia binucao is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family. It is commonly known as binukaw, takway or batuan, is a species of Garcinia endemic to the Philippines. It is not cultivated, though its edible fruits are harvested from the wild for use as a souring agent in some Filipino dishes.
Garcinia forbesii, commonly known as the rose kandis or kandis, is a small to medium-sized tree in the family Clusiaceae (Guttiferae). The specific epithet (forbesii) honors Scottish naturalist Henry Ogg Forbes.
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