Garcinia cochinchinensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Garcinia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Choisy

Family: Guttiferae

Synonyms

• Garcinia loureiri Pierre.

Vernacular names

• Indo-China: bua nha.

Distribution

Indo-China, often cultivated in Cambodia.

Uses

The pericarp is cut into slices and eaten raw or used as a sour relish. The seedlings are used as rootstock for mangosteen. Young twigs are eaten as vegetable.

Observations

• Tree, 10-15 m tall.
• Leaves ovate to oblong, 8-15 cm × 3-4.5 cm.
• Flowers unisexual, yellowish.
• Fruit an ovoid berry, 5 cm × 4 cm, yellowish outside, reddish inside.
• Seeds 6-10.

Flowering is from November to February, fruiting in June.

Selected sources

• Lecomte, M.H. & Gagnepain, F. (Editors), 1907-1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine. 7 Volumes and supplements. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

• Mansfeld, R. & Schultze Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen