(Redirected from Rheedia edulis)

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 intermedia (treated here as a synonym)[].

Common Name: Mameyito

General Information

Garcinia intermedia is an elegant, erect, evergreen tree with a densely branched, thick, dark crown. It usually grows around 10 metres tall, but with occasional specimens up to 30 metres[, ]. The straight, cylindrical bole is around 20cm in diameter[]. The tree produces a copious gummy, yellow latex[].
The tree is often planted in Central America as a shade or ornamental tree[]. It has also been grown as a fruit crop in Brazil, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and California[, ].
Garcinia intermedia 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)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northwestern S. America - Ecuador, north through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

An understorey tree of humid, mainly primary forests, where it often almost reaches the canopy, growing at elevations up to 1,200 metres[, , ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm, humid tropics at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].
Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[].
A fairly fast-growing plant, it can commence flowering and fruiting when only 2 - 3 years old from seed[].
An androdioecious species with some trees producing only male flowers and other trees producing hermaphrodite flowers[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The white pulp is acid with a good flavour[, ]. It is often made into jams[]. There is a little flesh, sweet or acid, adhering to the 1 or 2 seeds[]. There is a tasty, thick, fleshy, white pulp sticking to the seeds[]. The oval or oblong, orange or yellow fruit is 20 - 32mm long, with a thin, soft skin that is easily peeled[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark is rich in tannin[].

The heartwood is rose-yellow, hard, medium-heavy, coarse-textured, with numerous gum ducts, but tough, strong, easy to work, fairly durable[]. It is valued for construction because it is nearly immune to insects[]. It is also used for tool handles, fence posts, and temporary railroad ties[].
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 - it has a short viability and should not be allowed to dry out[]. Sow the seed fresh in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Seeds do not germinate immediately, waiting instead for several months - often well into the rainy season - before initiating growth[].

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