Garcinia ovalifolia
Oliv.
Clusiaceae
Garcinia acuminata A.Chev.
Garcinia claessensii De Wild.
Garcinia curvinervis Vesque
Garcinia edeensis Engl.
Garcinia kerstingii Engl.
Garcinia pynaertii De Wild.
Garcinia quadrangula Engl.
Garcinia tibatensis Engl.
Garcinia ubangensis Engl.
Common Name:
General Information
Garcinia ovalifolia is a much-branched shrub or small tree growing 2 - 10 metres tall[
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.
,
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/
].
Its wood is sometimes used locally for making canoes.
Garcinia ovalifolia has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
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
Moist areas of tropical Africa from Guinea to Ethiopia, south to Angola.
Habitat
Fringing forest in the savannah zone[
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/
]. In savannah country at water falls; flooded and swampy, riverine and rain-forest; gallery forest at elevations of 200 - 1,500 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 Status | Least Concern |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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
None known
Medicinal
No medicinal properties have been seen for this species as yet, but there are reports that it contains several potentially interesting compounds.
Flavonins have been reported in the bark and roots, as well as traces of saponins and 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/
].
Steroids and terpenes are reported in the fruits, leaves bark and roots[
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 wood is used for making canoes[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
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 - we have no specific information on this species, but the seed of most members of the genus can be slow to germinate, even if sown fresh, often taking 6 months or more[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
