Bacupari
Garcinia brasiliensis

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

A cultivated fruit tree in South America particularly in Brazil, Bacupira or Garcinia brasiliensis is an evergreen tree growing up to 13 m in height with a dense and rounded crown. The bark is rough and the leaves are leathery and smooth.The ovate, orange-yellow fruit has an excellent flavor - it can be eaten raw or processed into jams. The seeds are used in poultices on wounds, whitlows, tumors, and enlarged liver. The wood is suitable for rural construction and fuel.

Garcinia brasiliensis is an evergreen Tree growing to 6 m (19ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 6

Where it is found

Mainly found in secondary forests, by rivers, floodplains, coastal moist broadleaved forests etc.

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, French Guiana.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil*, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay*, Peru, South America,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw. The aril-like translucent subacid white pulp has an excellent flavour, suggesting that of the mangosteen. A highly prized fruit, usually eaten fresh but also makes an excellent jam. The ovate fruit may be 32 - 40mm long, with an orange-yellow, pliable, leathery, tough skin, 3 mm thick that is easily removed.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The seeds contain 8 to 9% oil (by weight), which is used in poultices on wounds, whitlows, tumours and, externally, over an enlarged liver. An infusion of the pulp has a narcotic action with an effect like that of nicotine. The root bark extract contains rheediaxanthone and a polyprenylated benzophenone, other lesser constituents, and 3 new prenylated xanthones.

Narcotic: Relieves pain, induces drowsiness and gives a sense of well-being.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 2

Other Uses: The wood is irregular-grained, coarse-textured, heavy, moderately susceptible to rot. It is suitable only for rural construction. The wood is used for fuel. 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.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

An understorey tree. It can be in seasonally flooded forest. A cultivated fruit tree. The fruit are popular. Fruit are sold in local markets. A plant of the moist tropics. Succeeds in full sun or light shade. It does best and fruits more readily in full sun. Plants can tolerate at least some inundation. Newly planted young trees establish and grow away fairly slowly.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Place the seed on its side in a nursery seedbed or individual containers in a semi-shaded position. A germination rate above 50% can be expected, with the seeds sprouting within 15 - 25 days. The seed can only be kept for about 4 months.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Achachairu, Pacura, Achycharii, Bacupari liso, Charichuelo, Guapom, Bacurizinho, Bacuri, Bacupari, Bacopare, Bacopari, Bacopari-miudo, Mangostao-amarelo, Escropari, Bacuri-miudo, Remelento, Bacuri-mirim, pacuri.

Synonyms

Rheedia brasiliensis (Mart.) Planch. & Triana.