This species has been included in Garcinia gummi-gutta in the past (when that species was known as Garcinia cambogia)

Common Name: Korakkaipuli

General Information

Garcinia quaesita is an evergreen tree with drooping branches and a round crown; it can grow up to 20 metres tall. The bole can be up to 60cm in diameter[].
The plant is becoming a very popular ingredient of a medicine that curbs the appetite and can be used to treat obesity. Traditionally, it is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicines and various commodities. It is cultivated for its fruit in home-gardens and makes a good ornamental tree when planted along road avenues[].
The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Sri Lanka

Habitat

Wet and intermediate evergreen forests at elevations up to 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	16.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the hot, humid tropics[].
Young plants require some shade, although older plants are more tolerant of sunny positions[]. Succeeds in a range of soils[].
Some forms of this species only produce male flowers, whilst other plants produce hermaphrodite flowers[].
Plants take 6 - 8 years from seed before producing fruits[].
Small inner branches should be pruned from the old unproductive trees to stimulate bearing[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A distinctive sweet acid taste[]. The flesh is mild to distinctly acid and is acclaimed to be exquisitely luscious and delicious[]. The dried fruits are widely used as a spice in the preparation of curries[]. The fruit is a small yellow, purple or reddish berry[].

The dried rind is used as a condiment especially in Sri Lanka, India and Malabar[].

The seeds contain up to about 31% of an edible oil that is rich in oleic acid[].

Medicinal

The fruit rind and extracts are used in traditional medicinal recipes especially in the Ayurvedic system[].

The dried rind is stomachic[]. It is used as a metabolic regulator to treat obesity, and also as a remedy for anorexia and chronic dyspepsia[]. A decoction of the fruit rind is taken as a treatment for rheumatism and bowel complaints.
Applied externally, a decoction is used for washing ulcers and as a gargle to treat weak and spongy gums[].
Used in conjunction with chromium picolinate, the rind curbs the appetite, leading to a reduced food intake[]. This makes it a powerful ingredient of weight loss therapy[].

The leaves are astringent and antipyretic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

When intercropped with other crops in home-gardens, it holds together soil thus controlling soil erosion[].

Other Uses

The tree yields a translucent yellow resin, which does not form an emulsion with water. The latex is soluble in turpentine and gives a yellow varnish, used in painting and dyeing[].

The dried rind used for polishing gold and silver, is a substitute for acetic and formic acids in the coagulation of rubber latex[].

The seeds have very high oil content. They contain up to about 31% of edible fat, rich in oleic acid[].

The grey, close-grained wood is generally not durable, although the heartwood from old trees is distinctly hard and durable[]. Of low quality, the wood is used for posts, matchboxes, cheap boxes etc[]

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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