garcinia mangostana

Garcinia mangostana has large leaves are elongated with smooth margins. The fruits is dark purple, round fruit is crowned by thick, persistent calyces. The flesh is juicy and sweet with a slightly acidic taste.

Taxonomy:

• Family : Clusiaceae 

Common Names:

• Malay : Manggis
• English : Mangosteen

Habitat and Distribution:

Garcinia mangostana thrives in tropical region. It is native to Indo-china and Malesia.

Uses:

• Food (Fruit or Vegetable): The fruit is best eaten fresh, because processing tends to ruin the flavour. It is sometimes eaten with sherbert or ice cream. The fruit tends to be in season at the same time as Durian. Some Chinese like to eat the fruits together, because they believe mangosteen has a cooling effect, while durian has a heating effect.

• Medicinal: In many Asian countries, the bark and fruit skin are used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. The rind contains a high concentration of tannin and is also used to treat dysentery. The Malays use a decoction of the roots to treat irregular menstruation. In Indonesia, the bark and leaves are considered astringent and also used to control fever​. 

• Others: The sap of the mangosteen has been used as a black coloring agent to dye silk. It stains fabric and may also linger on your hands for some time as well.