New Garcinia Kusumae Species Found in Assam

Garcinia Kusumae is a newly identified fruit tree from Assam’s Baksa district in Northeast India. Check here all about Newly found Garcinia Kusumae Species Found in Assam.

Context: Botanists have identified a new species of Garcinia in Assam and named it Garcinia Kusumae in honor of a renowned scientist.

About Garcinia Kusumae

Genus: Garcinia.
Locally, it is known as thoikora in Assamese.
It is a dioecious evergreen tree that grows up to 18 metres in height.
The tree flowers from February to April, and its fruits mature between May and June.
The fruit has significant cultural and medicinal uses.
The sun-dried pulp is used to make a sherbet with salt and sugar, used to prevent heat stroke and thirst.
It is also used in fish curries and as a traditional treatment for diabetes and dysentery.
The seed aril, which is sweet and sour, is eaten raw with salt, chillies, and mustard oil.

Garcinia kusumae

Features of Garcinia Species

Key morphological features include

Up to 15 staminate flowers per fascicle.
Fewer stamens per flower, except in Garcinia assamica.
Berries with blackish resinous exudations.

About Genus Garcinia

The genus Garcinia includes 414 species of shrubs and trees in the Clusiaceae family.
It is found pan-tropically, with diversity centres in Africa, Australasia, and Southeast Asia.
Garcinia species are known for their floral diversity, presence in lowland tropical rainforests, and pharmacological value.
In India, there are 33 species and 7 varieties of Garcinia documented.
The state of Assam alone hosts 12 species and 3 varieties.