Clusiaceae · Garcinia

Kodakkapuli / Malabar Gamboge

Garcinia gummi-gutta

Treeoutdoor
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & more
Flowering
January-August

Plant Details

Scientific name
Garcinia gummi-gutta
Genus
Garcinia
Habit
Tree
Habitat
Along streams in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests up to 1250m
Habitat type
Wetland, Forest
Native to
India
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal
Flowering & fruiting
January-August
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape
Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement
Opposite
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Entire margin leaf character
Margin
Entire
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kodakkapuli itself; the rest are typical of the Clusiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Yellowrecorded
Fruit type
BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.Common names include Garcinia cambogia (a former scientific name), as well as brindle berry, and Malabar tamarind. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kodakkapuli itself; the rest are typical of the Clusiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Tamil
Kodakkapuli, Penampuli, குடம்புளி
Telugu
మలబారు చింత
Kannada
Manda huli, ಮಂತುಳ್ಳಿ Mantulli, ಪುನರ್ಪುಳಿ Punarpuli, Kadagulu-muruga
Malayalam
Gorakkapuli, Pinar, Kodampuli, Kadumpuli
Marathi
Dharambe
Sinhala
ගොරකා

About Kodakkapuli

A member of the Clusiaceae family, Malabar Gamboge (Garcinia gummi-gutta) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and 2 other states. It grows in along streams in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests up to 1250m. Flowering and fruiting run from January to August.

Uses

It is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Clusiaceae family
Botanical family

Clusiaceae

Mangosteen/Garcinia family

Kodakkapuli belongs to the Clusiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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