Garcinia spicata
| Garcinia spicata | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Garcinia spicata |
| Genus | Garcinia |
| Family | Clusiaceae |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Native range | India; Sri Lanka[1] |
| Habit | Evergreen tree, reported at 2–25 m[2] |
| Sex expression | Dioecious[2] |
| Fruit | Yellow berry, about 3–4 cm across[2] |
Garcinia spicata is an evergreen Garcinia native to India and Sri Lanka.[1] It is recorded under the synonym Xanthochymus spicatus.[1] The species is associated with lower-elevation evergreen and semievergreen forest in southern India and Sri Lanka.[2]
A taxonomic revision of Garcinia section Garcinia recognizes 13 species and addresses species exclusions and synonymy; it supplies taxonomic context rather than cultivation instructions.[3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The species is reported as an evergreen tree ranging from 2 to 25 m in height.[2] The 2–25 m span indicates substantial variation and should not be treated as a reliable mature size for every cultivated plant. Its native forest setting points to a warm tropical plant with a preference for a consistently favorable root environment; a species-specific cold limit and fixed cultivated size should not be inferred from this range.
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
A forest-floor style starting point is a moisture-retentive medium that also drains freely; this is a habitat-based cultivation inference from its lower-elevation evergreen and semievergreen forest association, not a measured soil specification for the species.[2] Avoid treating a short dry interval or temporary wet period as proof of a tolerance limit. In a container or young-plant bed, monitor the root zone and adjust irrigation to keep active growth from experiencing repeated severe drying while preventing prolonged stagnant water.
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Its forest habitat supports beginning with bright filtered light and good atmospheric humidity rather than moving a shade-grown plant abruptly into exposed sun; this is a habitat-based cultivation inference, not a published light threshold.[2] Provide airflow around the foliage while protecting young plants from sudden exposure and desiccating conditions. A precise shade percentage or humidity target is not assigned here.
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
Because the species is evergreen and comes from evergreen or semievergreen forest, it should not be managed as a strongly deciduous tree with a deliberately imposed dry dormancy.[2] Keep moisture more consistent during warm active growth and respond to the local cool or dry season by reducing irrigation only as plant demand and evaporation fall. Do not assign a fixed flowering or fruiting calendar without local observations.
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed propagation is the documented route for Garcinia spicata.[2] The fruit is reported to contain one to three seeds.[2] Keep seed lots tied to their fruiting date and handling history rather than assigning a universal emergence schedule.
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The species is described as dioecious. Both male and female forms usually need to be grown when fruit and seed are required; usually should be retained rather than converted into an absolute pollination rule.[2] Do not assign a flowering calendar, bearing age, yield range, or pollinator requirement without species-specific evidence.
The fruit is described as a smooth, yellow, fleshy berry about 3–4 cm across, with one to three seeds.[2] No species-specific harvest color progression or ripeness schedule is given.
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The pulp is described as sweet but with an acrid or bitter aftertaste and an unpleasant odour.[2] The fruit is described as edible. These sensory descriptions are source-specific and should not be generalized to unnamed Garcinia fruits or to all individual trees.