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Useful Tropical Plants

Garcinia epunctata

Stapf

Clusiaceae

+ Synonyms

Garcinia balala De Wild.

Garcinia bequaertii De Wild.

Garcinia brieyi De Wild.

Garcinia cereoflava Engl.

Garcinia klainei Pierre ex Engl.

Garcinia kuluensis Spirlet

Garcinia mimfiensis Engl.

Garcinia nyangensis Pellegr.

Garcinia obscura Spirlet

Garcinia sordidoluteola De Wild.

Common Name:

Garcinia epunctata
Ripe fruit
Photograph by: Philippe Birnbaum; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Philippe Birnbaum
Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata Garcinia epunctata

General Information

Garcinia epunctata is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall, sometimes to 35 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
]. In Sierra Leone to Nigeria and extending to Angola[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is heavily exploited for its use in making chewsticks - these are commonly sold in local markets.
Apart from serious habitat losses, this species is also heavily exploited as a source of chewsticks. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Nigeria and eastern DR Congo, south to northern Angola.

Habitat

Evergreen forests[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. Rain forests, swampy, riverine and gallery forests; dense half-deciduous forests; at elevations from around 200 - 1,000 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusVulnerable
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height23.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



A dioecious species, both male and female forms usually need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
1149
Title
Contribution to the taxonomy of Garcinia (Clusiaceae) in Africa, including two new species from Gabon and a key to t
Publication
PhytoKeys 17: 41-62 (2012)
Author
Marc S.M. Sosef, Gilles Dauby
Website
http://www.phytokeys.com
Publisher
 
Year
2012
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. 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[
1798
Title
Taxonomic Revision of Garcinia Section Garcinia (Clusiaceae)
Publication
Phytotaxa 373 (1): 001-052
Author
Nazre M., Newman M.F., Pennington R.T. & Middleton D.J.
Website
https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.373.1.1
Publisher
 
Year
2018
ISBN
1179-3155
Description
 
]

Edible Uses

The fruits are up to 4 cm in diameter and contain an edible pulp[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Medicinal

The roots are crushed and soaked in palm-wine to make ‘male medicine’ which is strongly aphrodisiac[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

The bark is eaten to soothe cough[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

The leaves are made into a soup for treating upset tummy[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The leaves are prepared in decoction to treat troubles of the teeth[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Phytochemical analysis has shown abundant flavonins in the bark and roots, and some tannins[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

The tree is much exploited as a source of chewsticks, which are used for cleaning the teeth and strengthening the gums[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. 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[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

There is a sticky yellow resin present in all parts of the tree[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

The timber is hard, heavy, tough, strong and coarse-textured[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Garcinia+epunctata>

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