Garcinia epunctata

Stapf

Clusiaceae Edible: Fruit, Stem, Bark - tea 2 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Garcinia epunctata is a tall tropical rainforest tree in the family Clusiaceae. The tree is known for growing on inselbergs found in moist tropical forests of West Africa, including Upper Guinean forests, Lower Guinean forests, and Congolian forests south through Angola, both coastal and inland forests.

Description

A tropical tree reaching 30 m high, native to West African forests including swamps and various forest types. It produces small fruits about 4 cm across with edible pulp.

Edible Uses

The fruit pulp is eaten raw. The bark is prepared as a tea.

Traditional Uses

The pulp of the fruit is eaten raw. The bark is used as a tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The bark is used as a tea.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in forests in West Africa. It can grow in a range of forest types including swamps.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, West Africa,

Cultivation

A dioecious species, both male and female forms usually need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. At least some dioecious Garcinia species, however, are able to produce fertile seed even in the absence of fertilization (asexual reproduction). Such seeds would be expected to be genetically identical to the parent

Other Uses

The tree is much exploited as a source of chewsticks, which are used for cleaning the teeth and strengthening the gums. In Sierra Leone the wood is split to make chew-sticks, while the Ando of Ivory Coast use the twigs for that purpose. There appears to be no other recorded usage for the wood. There is a sticky yellow resin present in all parts of the tree. The timber is hard, heavy, tough, strong and coarse-textured.

Production

Fruit production is seasonal.

Notes

There are about 300 Garcinia species.

Synonyms

Garcinia balala De Wild.Garcinia bequaertii De Wild.Garcinia brieyi De Wild.Garcinia cereoflava Engl.Garcinia klainei Pierre ex Engl.Garcinia kuluensis SpirletGarcinia mimfiensis Engl.Garcinia nyangensis Pellegr.Garcinia obscura SpirletGarcinia sordidoluteola De Wild.

Also Known As

Alikpadjo, Chole, Ka woro, Londuho, Oluho, Otchuwo, Oue biliko, Siebe, Undandi

References (6)

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 139
J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37:86. 1905
Termote, C., et al, 2011, Eating from the wild: Turumbu, Mbole and Bali traditional knowledge of non-cultivated edible plants, District Tshopo, DRCongo, Gen Resourc Crop Evol. 58:585-618
Vivien, J., & Faure, J.J., 1996, Fruitiers Sauvages d'Afrique. Especes du Cameroun. CTA p

Show all 6 references