Garcinia livingstonei, Lowveld Mangosteen, Imbe, Rheedia -

TROPICAL PLANT CATALOG

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Garcinia livingstonei, Lowveld Mangosteen, Imbe, Rheedia

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Garcinia livingstonei
Family: Clusiaceae / Guttiferae
Lowveld Mangosteen, Imbe, Rheedia
Origin: Mozambique, Zimbabwe Northern Botswana
Large shrub 5-10 ft

Ethnomedical plant.
Plants marked as ethnomedical and/or described as medicinal, are not offered as medicine but rather as ornamentals or plant collectibles.
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Subtropical, cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time

An evergreen small tree with interesting branching pattern, with three lateral branches being produced at right angles to the trunk at each node, oddly shaped growth habit makes it valuable more for a landscape curiosity than just for its fruit. The male flowers are showy and sweet-smelling. The fruits are produced in profusion and are edible, having a refreshing acid-sweet flesh. However, the sticky latex can be irritating. In Mozambique the fruit is used to prepare a pleasant alcoholic beverage. Extracts of the leaves and flowers have tested positive for antibiotic properties. It is drought-resistant, and can tolerate light frost for a short period of time.

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