Bakupari, Bacupari
Garcinia brasiliensis

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

A small evergreen tree. It grows 5-7 m high. The trunk is 15-25 cm across. The bark is rough. The crown is round and the leaves are dense. The leaves are opposite. The leaves are leathery and smooth. They are 10-13 cm long by 5-7 cm wide. There are many male flowers and a few female flowers in a group. They are whitish. The fruit are small and oval. They are 2-4 cm across. The fruit are smooth and the fruit has a sweet, acid pulp. The fruit are orange coloured. They have a tough skin and white sub-acid pulp. There are 2 seeds inside.

Some authorities still use Rheedia. GRIN uses Garcinia.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dryland forests in the Amazon in Brazil. It does best and fruits more readily in full sun. It is an understorey tree. It can be in seasonally flooded forest. At Botanical Ark, Mossman.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana,Guianas, Paraguay (country/location of origin), Peru, South America

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten raw. It is the fleshy layer or aril around the seeds that is eaten. They are also used for jams and jellies.

It is a cultivated fruit tree. The fruit are popular. Fruit are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, aril

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit and these are put in a plastic bag to help them decay to make it easier to remove the pulp. The seeds are planted fresh. The seed can only be kept for about 4 months. Fresh seed are planted and germinate in 60-80 days.

Plants grow slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Achachairu, Achachairu comun, Achachairu mediano, Achycharii, Acupari, Bacopare, Bacopari-miudo, Bacopari, Bacupari liso, Bacupari, Bacuri-mirim, Bacuri-miudo, Bacuri, Bacurizinho, Bulandir, Bulangi, Charichuelo, Cupari, Escropari, Guapom, Mangostao-amarelo, Pacura, Pacuri, Pakuri, Pakurisoso'y, Poroco, Remelento

Synonyms

Garcinia brasiliensis var. parvifolia Mart.; Garcinia floribunda sensu Miq.; Garcinia floribunda Mart. forma major Mart.; Garcinia gardneriana (Planch. & Triana) Zappi; Rheedia brasiliensis (Mart.) Planch. & Triana; Rheedia floribunda sensu Engler; Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana; Rheedia spruceana Engl.;