Morphological Characterisation of Some Important Indian Garcinia Species

The genus Garcinia has over 200 species distributed in the tropics of the world. About 35 species occur in India, many of which are endemic and economically important with immense medicinal properties. However, lack of awareness, coupled with habitat destruction, leads to genetic erosion of this forest resource and many species are threatened. The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Calicut, has Garcinia genetic resources’ collection of 15 species of Western Ghats and Eastern Himalaya species. The morphological characterisation of the species of these two different eco systems indicates that there are variations within the species of the same ecosystem while there are similarities in the species of two different ecosystems. 1. Introduction The genus Garcinia (Family: Clusiaceae) consists of over 200 species distributed in the tropics of the world chiefly in Asia, Africa, and Polynesia. They are evergreen polygamous trees, shrubs, and herbs. About 35 species are reported to exist in India, many of which are endemic and economically important with immense medicinal properties [1]. In India, species of Garcinia grow extensively in semiwild state, in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Goa, coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala, and evergreen forests of Assam, Khasi, Jantia hills, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Gujarat. In Malabar and Konkan regions of Southern India, they are used in garnishing curries and also as a replacement for tamarind. In North Eastern India, the sundried slices of the fruits are used for culinary purposes and as folk medicine. Some species like Garcinia cambogia, G. indica, and G. cowa are cultivated in certain parts of India. G. pedunculata, G. kydia, G. cowa, and G. lanceaefolia are the most important species in north eastern parts of India. Many species of Garcinia have fruit with edible arils and are eaten locally. The best-known species is the mangosteen (G. mangostana), which is now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and other tropical countries. The seeds of G. indica fruits yield valuable edible fat known as kokum butter. The fruits of Garcinia are a food source for several animals [2]. Most species in Garcinia are known for their gum resin which is used as purgative or cathartic. Fruits of some Garcinia species are also one of the richest sources of red pigments in the plant kingdom. Fruit and syrup of G. indica are very popular in Konkan region and are antioxidant and antibacterial [3]. Garcinia is the source for a natural diet ingredient (-) hydroxycitric acid. HCA (1,2dihydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid) which