Garcinia indica
| Kokum (Garcinia indica) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific name | Garcinia indica |
| Common names | Kokum; Goa butter; Indian gamboge |
| Genus | Garcinia |
| Family | Clusiaceae |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Fruit type | Berry |
| Growth form | Slender evergreen tree, around 15 m in the cited account |
| Native range | Western India; associated with the Western Ghats region |
| Climate and site | Warm, humid tropical; evergreen forest and coastal sites |
| Propagation | Species-specific protocol limited; fresh seed and vegetative methods require local trial |
| Fruit | Purple to wine-brown, acidic berry, about 25–40 mm across |
| Years to fruit | N/A; a reliable species-wide figure is not established in the cited horticultural sources |
| Harvest | Seasonal timing varies; fruit is collected for fresh use and processing |
Kokum (Garcinia indica) is a slender evergreen tree of western India, valued for its acidic fruit, dried rind, and seed-derived kokum butter. GBIF records Garcinia indica as an accepted species in Clusiaceae and Malpighiales.[1][2]
Description[edit | edit source]
Garcinia indica is described as a slender evergreen tree with drooping branches, reaching about 15 m. It occurs as an understorey tree in coastal and evergreen forests, and is also reported from riversides and wasteland in western India. The fruit is a purple to wine-brown berry about 25–40 mm in diameter, with acidic pulp and commonly five to eight seeds.[3]
The species has been associated with several historical names, including Garcinia purpurea and Garcinia celebica in the secondary account. The accepted-name treatment should be kept separate from regional market names such as kokum, Goa butter, and Indian gamboge.[2][3]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Kokum suits warm, humid tropical conditions. The cited habitat account places it in evergreen forest and coastal environments, and reports good performance in coastal areas receiving more than 2,500 mm of annual rainfall, with some tolerance of drier conditions.[3]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Wild plants are reported from lateritic and alluvial soils about 1 m deep, with a soil reaction around pH 6.7. A grower aiming to reproduce that setting should provide deep soil with steady moisture and good drainage; the sources do not establish a species-specific waterlogging threshold. In a seasonal climate, irrigation during prolonged dry weather is a practical translation of the humid, high-rainfall habitat rather than a measured irrigation prescription.[4][3]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The species is described as an understorey tree of coastal and evergreen forests, so young plants can be given bright filtered light while they establish. High atmospheric humidity and shelter from desiccating wind fit the native setting. A universal full-sun requirement for fruit production is not established in the cited sources; light response should be recorded with the provenance and site.[3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
Kokum is evergreen rather than a species for which a regular dry-season dormancy is documented. In cultivation, maintain root-zone moisture through unusually long dry periods and avoid abrupt exposure to cold, dry air. Flowering and harvest dates are not uniform enough in the cited material to assign one calendar season across its range; local records should distinguish flowering, fruit set, and fruit collection.[3]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Species-specific propagation information is limited. The available horticultural account warns that seed in this genus can be slow to germinate even when fresh, sometimes taking six months or more; that genus-level observation should not be treated as a guaranteed Garcinia indica germination schedule.[5]
Seed should therefore be treated as a fresh, trial-based method, with provenance, sowing date, moisture, and emergence recorded. Grafted or other vegetative plants may be useful where a known fruiting selection is being maintained, but the cited sources do not provide a single dependable protocol or a species-wide years-to-fruit interval. The species also has documented geographic variation in sexual system and floral traits, so fruiting should not be assumed from the presence of one uncharacterized plant.[6]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The tree bears small berries that mature from green toward purple or wine-brown, with acidic pulp surrounding several seeds. The cited material does not support a universal flowering or harvest calendar, and it does not establish a dependable years-to-fruit figure for seedlings, grafted plants, or named selections. Record the sex expression, flowering flush, fruit set, and harvest date of each planting rather than transferring dates from another Garcinia species.[3][6]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit is eaten raw or cooked and is made into jellies, syrup, vinegar, and acid-flavoured beverages. Dried fruit or rind is used as a souring ingredient in curries and other foods, while the seeds provide a solid fat known as kokum butter. Kokum reviews also discuss traditional and food-product uses; those traditions should not be presented as clinical treatment or as proof of medical efficacy.[7][3]
Research on anthocyanins and rind specifications concerns fruit composition and identification of processed plant material, not a cultivation or dosage recommendation.[8][9]
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [5] Useful Tropical Plants: genus-level seed-propagation limitation in the Garcinia indica account.
- ↑ [6] Joseph and Murthy, “Sexual system of Garcinia indica: geographic variation in trioecy and sexual dimorphism in floral traits,” Plant Systematics and Evolution.
- ↑ [7] Chate, Kakade, and Neeha, “Kokum (Garcinia indica) Fruit: A Review,” Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research.
- ↑ [8] Nayak, Srinivas, and Rastogi, “Characterisation of anthocyanins from Garcinia indica Choisy,” Food Chemistry.
- ↑ [9] Kadam et al., “Phytopharmacopoeial specifications of Garcinia indica fruit rinds,” Pharmacognosy Journal.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Summary image: Phadke09, CC BY-SA 4.0; file description identifies Garcinia indica fruit.
- Description image: Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 4.0; file description identifies Indian gamboge (Garcinia indica) in India.
- Photos image: Subray Hegde, CC BY 1.0; file description identifies Garcinia indica fruits, seeds, pulp, and rinds.
