Guandong mangosteen
Garcinia multiflora

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows between 5 and 15 m tall. It has a knotty trunk and horizontal branches. The branches are slender and yellowish-brown. Trees are separately male and female. The leaves are 6-12 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are oval. The fruit is a round berry 5-7 cm across. There are 4 seeds 3-4 cm long.

There are about 300 Garcinia species.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in a range of sites usually between 400 and 1200 m altitude in China. In Taiwan in grows in the lowlands in the south. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Hong Kong, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit is eaten raw but is very sour.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bira tai, Doc, May bao, Mu zhu zi

Synonyms

Garcinia hainanensis Merrill.; An accepted separate species in The Plant List. Garcinia tonkinensis Vesque; An accepted separate species in The Plant List.