Garcinia
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{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen | name = Garcinia | image = Koeh-063.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Garcinia morella. | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Magnoliopsida | ordo = Malpighiales | familia = Clusiaceae | subfamilia = Clusioideae | tribus = Garcinieae | genus = Garcinia | genus_authority = L. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 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 xanthochymus
Image:Garcinia mangostana fruit1.jpg
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.
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.