Garcinia L.
EOL Text
Garcinia kola (bitter kola, a name sometimes also used for G. afzelii) is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae or Guttiferae family. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Garcinia kola or bitter kola is a tree that grows in the rain forests of west Africa. The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the plant have been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat ailments from coughs to fever. According to a report from the Center For International Forestry Research, garcinia kola trade is still important to the tribes and villages in Nigeria. As with any herb, never consume garcinia kola without first discussing its use and benefits with your physician, especially if you are currently being treated for other medical conditions or are on any medications.
Traditional medicine[edit]
Garcinia kola is traditionally used by African medicinemen who believe that it has purgative, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial properties.[2] The seeds are used for bronchitis, throat infections, colic, head or chest colds, and cough.[2] It is also used for liver disorders and as a chewing stick.[2]
Barriers to cultivation[edit]
Despite its socio-economic importance of Garcinia kola, the cultivation of the species is very much limited. Factors that have discouraged farmers from growing Garcinia kola include difficulties encountered in the germination which reduces the availability of seedlings in the nurseries for possible plantation establishment. Most of the productive trees are those which were left in the wild when farm plots were cut out of the forest (Adebisi, 2004). Researchers have studied the germination problems of G. kola seeds and suggested various means of breaking its dormancy (Gyimah, 2000, Anegbeh et al., 2006, Kanmegne and Ndoumou, 2007, Oboho and Urughu, 2010, Oboho and Ogana, 2011). But there is still a great need to investigate more simple and practicable methods that could be easily adopted by the farmers with low technological input. G. kola seeds has both seeds coat dormancy and physiological dormancy probably imposed by the chemicals in the seed (Oboho and Urughu 2010). Seed coat dormancy of Garcinia kola can be reduced by removing the seed coat before sowing while the physiological dormancy can be reduced by soaking in water for 72 hours (Yakubu et al., 2014). the removal of the seed coat, soaking in water for 72 hours, placing inside air tight transparent polythene bag and sprinkling of water on the seeds when needed for constant moisture will give early germination period of 2 weeks (Yakubu et al., 2014).
References[edit]
- ^ Cheek. M. 2004. Garcinia kola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Maurice Iwu, Angela R. Duncan, and Chris O. Okunji, New Antimicrobials of Plant Origin p. 457–462. 1999, ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA
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Isotype for Garcinia myrtifolia A.C. Sm.
Catalog Number: US 1965381
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Verification Degree: Original publication and alleged type specimen examined
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): A. C. Smith
Year Collected: 1947
Locality: Nandronga & Navosa, S slope of Nausori Highlands, Namosic Creek above Tumbenasolo. [Viti Levu Group], Viti Levu, Viti Levu Group, Fiji, Pacific Islands
Elevation (m): 300 to 450
- Isotype: Smith, A. C. 1950. J. Arnold Arbor. 31: 315.
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| Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/botany/?irn=2135262 |
Garcinia indica, a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as kokum, is a fruit tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. The tree is also ornamental, with a dense canopy of green leaves and red-tinged, tender, emerging leaves. It is indigenous to the Western Ghats region of India, along the western coast. It is found in forest lands, riversides, and wasteland, and also gets cultivated on a small scale. It does not require irrigation, spraying or fertilizers.
These plants prefer evergreen forests, but some also thrive in relatively low-rainfall areas. Garcinia indica is known by various names across India, including amsol/aamsul, bindin, biran, bhirand, bhinda, bhrinda, brinda, kokum/kokam, katambi, panarpuli, kudam puli or ratamba.
Further, the extract/concentrate of this fruit is called aagal in Konkani and Marathi. It is ready to use for preparation of sol kadhi when mixed with coconut milk.
The genus Garcinia, belonging to the family Clusiaceae, includes some 200 species found in the Old World tropics, especially Asia and Africa. Of the 35 species found in India, 17 are endemic. Of these, seven are endemic to the Western Ghats region (lying along western coastal India), six in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four in the northeastern region of India.
Called kokum, kokam, or bin'na in parts of western India, the Garcinia indica seed contains 23-26% oil, which remains solid at room temperature and is used in the preparations of confectionery, medicines and cosmetics.
The outer cover of fruit is dried in the sun to get aamsul or kokam. It is used as a slightly sour spice in recipes from Maharashtra that yields peculiar taste and dark red colour. It is a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries and other dishes from Konkan. It is also used in Konkani cuisine, in Gujarat, and some cuisines of South India.
As kudam puli, it is an essential ingredient of traditional fish recipes of Kerala.
Recently, industries have started extracting hydroxycitric acid (HCA) from the rind of the fruit.[citation needed]
India's first national seminar on kokum or Garcinia indica was held March 4-5, 2005 at the Goa University, Goa. Those researching on the crop see it as having a bright future: it is rainfed, does not have any pest or diseases apart from the monkey menace, and is almost a "zero-attention" crop.
One paper presented at the Goa seminar (March 2005) suggested Garcinia indica has medicinal uses both as a digestive tonic, and to cope with paralysis. In the first case, about half to one glass of curry is prepared from the fruits, with a little salt and sugar, to be taken after meals. For paralysis, the clean-chopped stem bark is finely powdered and is added to boiling water. After two to three minutes, a lightly cooled decoction is used for washing the affected parts, two to three times a day.
Kokum juice is also thought to be effective against allergies due to bee stings and other insect bites, sun exposure symptoms and acidity.
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| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Garcinia_indica&oldid=411461209 |
"Notes: Western Ghats, Evergreen and Semi evergreen Forests"
Description: Leaves chartaceous, obovate - oblong, elliptic - lanceolate, rounded, acute or abrubtly acuminate, narrowed at base, , to 10 x 5 cm, petiole to 0.7 cmlong, staminate flowers 4-8,in axillary or terminal fascicles. sepals 4, outer one smaller than inner, petals 4, stamens on a short column, anthers 2- celled, dehiscing longitudinally, pistillate flowers usually solitary, terminal, staminodes to 20, in phalanges, ovary 4- 8 locular, stigma 4- 8 rayed, berry globose, 3 cm long, orange pink when ripe, seeds 5-8 compressed
Syn: Brindonia indica Dupetit-Thouars,
Murigina huli mara (Kannada)
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| Rights holder/Author | Santhan P giri, Santhan P giri |
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Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Tree
"Understorey tree in disturbed evergreen forests to semi-evergreen forests, up to 700 m."
"
Global Distribution
India and Sri Lanka
Indian distribution
State - Kerala, District/s: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam
"
Notes: Cultivated in Kerala.
Garcinia , saptree, is a genus of around 450 species of tropical trees and shrubs in the Clusiaceae family, mostly native to the Old World (tropical and South Africa, Madagascar, southeastern Asia, including China, northeastern Australia, and western Polynesia), with a few species in the tropical regions of the Americas, probably best known for the delicious fruit produced by G. mangostana, the mangosteen, (although most of the species produce edible fruits). Various Asiatic species are also used for their yellow resin or latex, which is harvested for medicinal use (as a cathartic or stimulant) and as a dye or artist’s pigment. Many species are important timber species, used for construction and furniture.
Members of the genus vary considerably in size and form, but generally have opposite leaves (occasionally whorled), entire (untoothed or lobed), which are generally evergreen, often thick and leathery but occasionally papery, with prominent secondary veins. The flowers, often fragrant, generally have 4 or 5 parts, and occur in singly or in clusters of up to 5, which may be terminal (at branch tips) or axillary (where leaf meets stem). The fruit is a berry with a thin to leathery skin and 1 to 5 seeds (or more) embedded in a fleshy or pulpy, often edible, aril.
In addition to mangosteen, which has been called the “prince of tropical fruits,” other species in the genus noted for their edible fruits include the following:
1. G. atroviridis, G. gummi-guta, and G. hombroniana, which have sour fruits that are dried and used as a spice (similar to tamarind, Tamarindus indica, in flavor).
2. G. dulcis, from the Molucca Islands, which as a fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked, and is often made into jam.
3. G. kola, Central African false kola, which is chewed for its stimulant properties (similar to those of kola, Cola acuminata and C. nitida).
4. G. livinstonei, African mangosteen or imbé, widely used in Africa as a fresh fruit and for brewing beer.
Gamboge, a pigment that ranges from deep saffron to mustard yellow in color, and is traditionally used to dye the garments of Buddhist monks, is made from the following species: G. elliptica and G. heterandra (Myanmar); G. hanburyi (Cambodia and Thailand); and G. morella (India and Sri Lanka).
(Bailey et al. 1976, Flora of China 2012, van Wyk 2005, Wikipedia 2012.)
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| Rights holder/Author | Jacqueline Courteau, Jacqueline Courteau |
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