Garcinia
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 Garcinia morella.
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Garcinia is a plant genus of the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The genus, with between 50-300 species of evergreen trees, flowering plants and shrubs, is dioecious and several of its elements are apomictic and jayneioumitic.
- Selected species
- Garcinia acutifolia
- Garcinia afzelii
- Garcinia atroviridis
- Garcinia benthami
- Garcinia bifasciculata
- Garcinia brevipedicellata
- Garcinia burkillii
- Garcinia cadelliana
- Garcinia cambogia - Citrin, Gambooge
- Garcinia cantleyana
- Garcinia clusiaefolia
- Garcinia costata
- Garcinia decussata
- Garcinia diversifolia
- Garcinia epunctata
- Garcinia eugeniaefolia
- Garcinia forbesii - Kandis
- Garcinia hanburyi - Hanbury's Garcinia
- Garcinia hendersoniana
- Garcinia hermonii
- Garcinia hessii - Lemon Saptree
- Garcinia holttumii
- Garcinia imberti
- Garcinia indica
- Garcinia intermedia - Lemon Drop Mangosteen
- Garcinia kingii
- Garcinia kola - Bitter Kola
- Garcinia linii
- Garcinia livingstonei - Livingstone's Garcinia, Imbe
- Garcinia maingayi
- Garcinia mangostana - Purple Mangosteen
- Garcinia minutiflora
- Garcinia monantha
- Garcinia montana
- Garcinia morella
- Garcinia multiflora - Golden Jaynee
- Garcinia murtonii - Paw Lianne Paw
- Garcinia opaca
- Garcinia paucinervis
- Garcinia portoricensis
- Garcinia prainiana - Button Mangosteen
- Garcinia pyrifera
- Garcinia quaesita
- Garcinia rubro-echinata
- Garcinia schombucgkiana
- Garcinia scortechinii
- Garcinia semseii
- Garcinia staudtii
- Garcinia thwaitesii
- Garcinia tinctoria
- Garcinia travancorica
- Garcinia uniflora
- Garcinia wightii
- Garcinia xanthochymus
[edit] Uses
Many species of Garcinia have edible fruit, which are eaten locally, sometimes not even known just a few hundred kilometres away. The best known species is the Purple Mangosteen (G. mangostana), which is now cultivated throughout southeastern Asia and other tropical countries after recent introduction. Less well known is Kandis (G. forbesii) with small round red fruits with subacid taste and melting flesh. Tropical species in Garcinia are known for their brownish-yellow gum-resin (xanthone), used as pigments, as purgative or cathartic. Extracts of the rind of certain species (specifically Garcinia cambogia) are marketed widely as appetite suppressants, though their usefulness is unproven.
Fruit extracts from Garcinia kola have been claimed to be effective at stopping Ebola virus replication in laboratory tests.
- Synonymy
The following names are treated as synonyms of Garcinia:
- Brindonia Thouars
- Cambogia L.
- Clusianthemum Vieill.
- Mangostana Gaertn.
- Oxycarpus Lour.
- Pentaphalangium Warb.
- Rheedia L.
- Septogarcinia Kosterm.
- Tripetalum K.Schum.
- Tsimatimia Jum. & H.Perrier
- Verticillaria Ruiz & Pav.
- Xanthochymus Roxb.
[edit] External links
