Mangosteen

Mangosteen
Illustration from Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java 1863–1864 by Berthe Hoola van Nooten (Pieter De Pannemaeker lithographer)
Photograph of a whole mangosteen fruit, and one partially peeled to show the horizontal cross-section which reveals the white internal flesh divided into seven sections.
Whole fruit and horizontal cross-section
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Genus: Garcinia
Species:
G. mangostana
Binomial name
Garcinia mangostana
Synonyms[1]
  • Mangostana garcinia Gaertn

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), also known as the purple mangosteen,[2] is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to Island Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. It has been cultivated extensively in tropical Asia since ancient times.[1][3][4][5] It is grown mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia, Puerto Rico and Florida,[5][6][7] where the tree has been introduced. The tree grows from 6 to 25 m (19.7 to 82.0 ft) tall.[5]

The fruit of the mangosteen is sweet and tangy, juicy, somewhat fibrous, with fluid-filled vesicles (like the flesh of citrus fruits), with an inedible, deep reddish-purple colored rind (exocarp) when ripe.[5][6] In each fruit, the fragrant edible flesh that surrounds each seed is botanically endocarp, i.e., the inner layer of the ovary.[8][9] The seeds are of similar size and shape to almonds.

Genus Garcinia also contains several less-known fruit-bearing species, such as the button mangosteen (G. prainiana) and the charichuelo (G. madruno).

  1. ^ a b "Garcinia mangostana L." Plant of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference stone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Yao, T. L.; Nazre, M.; McKey, D.; Jalonen, R.; Duminil, J. (March 2023). "The origin of cultivated mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana L. var. mangostana ): Critical assessments and an evolutionary-ecological perspective". Ecology and Evolution. 13 (3): e9792. doi:10.1002/ece3.9792. PMC 10020034. PMID 36937066.
  4. ^ Nazre, M. (August 2014). "New evidence on the origin of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) based on morphology and ITS sequence". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 61 (6): 1147–1158. doi:10.1007/s10722-014-0097-2.
  5. ^ a b c d Morton, Julia F (1987). "Mangosteen". Fruits of warm climates. Purdue University. pp. 301–304. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  6. ^ a b Karp, David (9 August 2006). "Forbidden? Not the Mangosteen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  7. ^ Karp, David (8 August 2007). "Mangosteens Arrive, but Be Prepared to Pay". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  8. ^ Mabberley, D.J. 1997. The plant book: A portable dictionary of the vascular plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  9. ^ "Garcinia mangostana (Clusiaceae)". Montoso Gardens. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2012.