Garcinia

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Garcinia

Garcinia morella.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Clusiaceae
Subfamily:	Clusioideae
Tribe:	Garcinieae
Genus:	Garcinia L.

Species

See text

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 and shrubs, is dioecious and several of its elements are apomictic.

Selected species

Garcinia atroviridis
Garcinia benthami
Garcinia cambogia - Citrin, Gambooge
Garcinia forbesii - Kandis
Garcinia hanburyi - Hanbury's Garcinia
Garcinia hessii - Lemon Saptree
Garcinia indica
Garcinia intermedia - Lemon Drop Mangosteen
Garcinia kola - Bitter Kola
Garcinia lateriflora
Garcinia livingstonei - Livingstone's Garcinia, Imbe
Garcinia mangostana - Purple Mangosteen
Garcinia merguensis
Garcinia morella
Garcinia multiflora
Garcinia myrtifolia
Garcinia portoricensis
Garcinia prainiana - Button Mangosteen
Garcinia schombucgkiana
Garcinia tinctoria
Garcinia xanthochymus

Fruit of the Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)

[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 are reputed to be appetite suppressants.

Fruit extracts from Garcinia kola have been claimed to be effective at stopping Ebola virus replication in laboratory tests.