Common Name: Camboge

General Information

Garcinia gummi-gutta is an evergreen tree with a rounded crown growing 5 - 20 metres tall[, ]. The bole can be around 70cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit and gum-resin, that has medicinal and various other uses. The tree is also cultivated outside its native range, especially in China, Malaysia and the Philippines[, ]. The fruit rind is traded in large quantities[]. The tree is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern India.

Habitat

An understorey tree of semi-evergreen to evergreen forests, found in both hilly areas and plains, but growing best along riverbanks and in valleys; growing at elevations from 50 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	14.00 m
Pollinators	Wind, Bees, small weevils
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of hot, wet, tropical climates[]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 15 - 30°c and the mean annual rainfall is 1,500 - 4,000mm[].
Succeeds in both dry or occasionally inundated soils[].
Seed-grown plants start bearing after 10-12 years whereas grafts from the third year onwards and will attain the stage of full bearing at the age of 12-15 years[].
There are also reports of off-season bearers, bearing twice annually[].
The orange yellow mature fruits either drop from the tree or are harvested manually. The rind is separated for processing immediately after harvest[].
Garcinia gummi-gutta flowers in the dry season. It appears to be pollinated by wind, bees and small weevils of the genus Deleromus (Curculionidae)[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. A pleasant acid flavour[]. A very sour flavour[]. Used in curries[]. The fruit is a green, ovoid berry, turning yellow or red when fully ripe, around 5cm in diameter[].
The rinds of the ripe fruits are processed and used as a condiment to impart flavour and taste and to improve keeping quality[].

The dried seeds yield a protein and fat-rich butter, popularly known as 'uppage tuppa'[].

The fruit juice or syrup is used as a coolant and helps to reduce body fat[].

Medicinal

A decoction made from the plant (part not specified) is used in the treatment of rheumatism and bowel complaints[].

An extract obtained from the mature fruit rind, Hydroxy Citric Acid, is used as a treatment against obesity[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree provides good shade for shade-loving crops such as ginger, or it can be grown in association with other field crops, including medicinal plants[].
The tree can also be grown as a perennial intercrop with coconut and areca nut[].

Other Uses

Gamboge, a gum-resin obtained from the plant, is used as a yellow dye, as an illuminant and in varnishes, water colours etc[].
Gamboge is a gum-resin which is obtained from the bark, branches and fruits of several species in the genus Garcinia. It contains around 70 - 80% resin with 15 - 25% gum and is used primarily as a pigment, being used to dye cloth (the yellow silken robes of Buddhist monks are often dyed with it), as well as supplying a golden-yellow colouring to varnishes, lacquers, paints, ink, water colours etc[, , , ].

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the fruit peel is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an astringent[].

The wood is used in construction and furniture making[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, though viability can be maintained for 1 - 2 months in moist storage at 20°c[]. 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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