Herbarium JCB

Garcinia indica (Dupetit-Thouars) Choisy

Family : CLUSIACEAE
Family (As per The Plant List) : Clusiaceae
Species : Garcinia indica
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Garcinia indica (Thouars) Choisy
Common name : Coccum
Vernacular name : Vrikshamla (San.); Punerpuli, Murgina hulimari (Kan.)
Collection Nos : KFP 7084, KFP 10933
Endemism : Western Ghats
Key identification features : A large evergreen tree with long drooping branches and yellow latex. Leaves are opposite, leathery, red when young and oblong lanceolate. Flowers are small (4-8 mm.), axillary as well as terminal, solitary or in fascicles with pedicels thickening upwards. Petals are four while the stamens are many. Fruit is globose, 3 cm., smooth and purple. Bark grey-brown, relatively smooth but with inconspicuous light-coloured vertical fissures; exudes orange-yellow resin when cut.. Fruit pulp edible. Rind in used in making sambar.
Habit : Tree
Native : India
Comments : Fruits used in making of Beverages and as a substituite for Tamarind; Oil extracted from seeds can be used for cooking.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Shimoga, Udupi
Floras referred : Saldanha, 1984; Keshava Murthy & Yoganarasimhan, 1990 - Coorg; Gopalakrishna Bhat, 2003 - Udupi