Garcinia quaesita

Garcinia quaesita
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Genus: Garcinia
Species: G. quaesita
Binomial name
Garcinia quaesita
Pierre

Garcinia quaesita is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family. It is found only in Sri Lanka.

Common names

*English = red mango,Indian tamarind,brindleberry
*Sinhala = kana goraka,honda goraka
*Tamil = korakkaipuli

Etymology

The generic name is after L. Garcin (1683–1751), a naturalist and a correspondent of Linnaeus.

Description

Garcinia quaesita is a medium to large evergreen lactiferous tree to 20 m high and up to 60 cm diameter. The crown is round with drooping branches. The bark is blackish and rough, cracked and peeling to exude dark-yellow latex.

The leaves are dark green, 5–12.5 by 2.5–7.5 cm, oblanceolate to subovate. Flowers white, on axil of upper leaves; male flowers show inflorescence as clusteres and female are solitary.

The fruit is yellow, purple or reddish, small and globose, with 7–13 very deep vertical grooves. The flesh is mild to distinctly acid and is said to be delicious. Seeds 6-8, ovoid-oblong, 2.5 cm long and 1.6 cm wide, clinging to the flesh.

Reproduction

G. quaesita is androdioecious and takes 6–8 years to reach sexual maturity. It flowers during the hot season while the fruits ripen during rainy season in Sri Lanka.

For more information Go to: Main Garcinia Page

Sources