Clusiaceae

Native: India

Systematic Position

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Streptophyta

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Clusiaceae

Common Names

English – Bitter Garcinia

Malayalam – മഞ്ഞണാങ്കു

Description: An evergreen shrub or small tree, bark grey, reddish or pale gray, branches often opposite, cylindrical. Stem latex usually resinous, thick, yellow in colour and present on bark, branches and fruits. Leaves are simple, opposite leathery, coriaceous, glabrous on both sides. Inflorescence axillary or terminal cymes or fascicles or solitary or paired in leaf axis. Flowers are unisexual and plants are dioecious, Male flowers with numerous stamens, rarely few, fascicled in 1-5 bundles. Female flowers: often solitary, bigger than male flowers. Fruit a fleshy berrywith persistent calyx with 1-12 seeds embedded in juicy cream white pulp.

Distribution:  India and Sri Lanka.

Uses: Ornamental plant. The fruit is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.