Common Name:

General Information

Garcinia cowa is an evergreen tree growing 8 - 15 metres tall. The bole can be 15 - 20cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The tree is also cultivated for its fruit, mainly in some areas of its native range, and is also sometimes used as a rootstock[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southwest China, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.

Habitat

Humid mixed forests on hills or in valleys; usually at elevations from 400 - 900 metres, occasionally descending to 100 metres or ascending to 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

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[]

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The fruit has an acidic flavour, it is used as a tamarind-like flavouring in curries etc and is also used for making pickles. It can be sliced and dried in the sun for future use[]. The mature, ovoid-globose, yellow-brown fruit can be 5 - 6cm long and 4 - 5cm in diameter[].
The soft aril surrounding the seeds has a juicy pulp[]..

Leaves - cooked[]. Eaten as a vegetable[, ].

Medicinal

The fruit is acidic and astringent. It is used in the treatment of dysentery[].

The seeds are used in preparation of medicines applied externally[].

Camboge, a gum-resin obtained from the bark, branches and fruits, is used medicinally[].
Gamboge has been employed in western medicine as a hydragogue-cathartic, but is little used now[].

Other Uses

The plant is sometimes grown, especially in the Philippines, as a grafting stock for the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)[].

The tree yields a yellow gum, insoluble in water, but soluble in spirits. It is, therefore, likely to prove useful as a varnish, but not as a pigment[]. The yield of gum is low[].
The stem yields a gum resin that can be used to prepare a yellow varnish[].
The fruit yields a gum resin that can be used to prepare a yellow varnish[].

The seeds yield around 9% oil[].

The greyish-white wood is moderately hard with many wavy, fine, concentric bands of soft tissue. It is not used[].

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[].

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