MANGOSTEEN YELLOW

Product description

Garcinia xanthochymus. Or false mangosteen or yellow mangosteen.

Garcinia xanthochymus is an evergreen tree with more or less horizontal branches and a dense pyramidal crown. it can reach 8 - 15 meters high

The tree is collected from the wild, and also cultivated and semi-cultivated, for its edible fruit and pigment

It is a source of 'gamboge', a multipurpose gum-resin commonly collected from various species of this genus and traded internationally.

Known risks: No one knows

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand to Indo-China.

Habitat

Dense wet forests from valleys or on hills at altitudes of 600 - 1,000 meters

Evergreen tree

Height 10.00 m

Cultivation details

Plant of warm, humid tropical regions, where it is found at altitudes up to 1,000 meters

Grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range of 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c

The plants are tolerant of occasional light frosts

Prefers an average annual rainfall in the range of 1,500 - 2,000 mm, but tolerates 1,200 - 2,500 mm

Shade tolerant

Thrives in most well-draining soils, including poor soils and soils with a high pH

Prefers pH in the range of 6 - 7.5, tolerates 5.5 - 8

Very slow growing tree

Fruits in the 6th year

Flowering usually occurs after a period of severe drought and may occur twice a year.

The thin-skinned fruit is edible.

With a pleasant, acidic taste, it is mainly used as a breakfast fruit

It can be eaten fresh, used in sherbets, jams, curries and vinegars or as a flavoring in other foods

The fruit is a rich source of citric acid

The ripe berry is yellow, spherical or oval, sometimes oblique, with a diameter of 3 - 5 cm

Medical

The fruit is antiscorbutic, choleretic, refreshing, emollient and soothing.

Other Uses

The seeds yield up to 17% oil.

The juice of the fruit is used as a dye.

Gamboge, a resin obtained from the plant, is used as a yellow dye, as an illuminator, and in varnishes, water colors. The dye is often used to dye the garments of Buddhist priests

Gamboge is a gum-resin obtained from the bark, twigs and fruits of several species of the genus Garcinia. It contains about 70 - 80% resin with 15 - 25% gum and is mainly used as a pigment, used to dye textiles (the yellow silk garments of Buddhist monks are often dyed with it), as well as to provide a golden yellow coloration to varnishes, lacquers, paints, ink, water colors

Young plants are used as rootstocks for mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana

The dark gray-brown wood is close-grained, strong and very hard. Good quality.