There is disagreement between botanists over the correct placing of this species, with some recognising the genus Rheedia and placing this species in that genus as Rheedia portoricensis Urb. (treated here as a synonym)[].

Common Name:

General Information

Garcinia portoricensis is an evergreen tree with a narrow crown of drooping or horizontal branches; reports suggest that it used to grow up to 20 metres tall, but the largest specimens currently growing are more likely to be around 6 metres. The bole is around 10cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. A handsome small tree with possible ornamental value[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Caribbean - Porto Rica.

Habitat

Forests in lower montane areas, and thickets in moist or dry coastal regions[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Individual flowers on a tree can be bisexual or either male or female. In addition, distinctly male and female flowers can either both be on the same tree (monoecious) or on different trees (dioecious)[]. At least some dioecious Garcinia species 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

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is light browns; the sapwood is very light brown. The wood is very hard, heavy, and very fine-textured. Because of the small size of tliis tree, its wood is used only for posts[].
We do not have any more information on the wood of this species, but a general description of the wood for trees in the Americas which were formerly considered to be in the genus Rheedia is as follows:-
The heartwood is dark yellow-brown, grayish- or pinkish-brown, merging gradually into the sapwood; surfaces are sometimes specked with resinous exudations. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain straight to irregular and roey; luster medium to rather low; it is free from discernible odour or taste. Species in Surinam are rated durable to attack by decay fungi and fairly resistant to dry wood termites. Species in Colombia are resistant to a brown-rot fungus but not the white-rot in a laboratory assay. Under field conditions the wood was susceptible to decay and attack by insects. It dries rapidly, but is reported to be moderately difficult to air season, tending to warp and check. Reports on workability vary with species from moderate to high resistance to cutting to machining fairly well; reports on ease of finishing are also variable. The wood is used for purposes such as furniture, flooring (quarter sawn), heavy construction, and general carpentry[].

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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