Garcinia prainiana King

Ngernsaengsaruay, Chatchai & Chanton, Pichet, 2024, A taxonomic revision of Garcinia sections Dicrananthera and Macrostigma (Clusiaceae) in Thailand, PhytoKeys 248, pp. 339-360 : 339-360

2. Garcinia prainiana King , J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 59 (2): 171. 1890; Vesque in A. DC. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 8: 329. 1893; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 1: 180. 1922; Corner, Wayside Trees Mal. 1: 320. fig. 112. ed. 2. 1952; Corner & Watan., Ill. Guide Trop. Pl.: t. 193. 1969; Whitmore in Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 220. 1973; I. M. Turner, Gard. Bull. Singapore 47 (1): 263. 1995; Ngernsaengsaruay et al., PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.16572: 28. figs 13, 14, 15. 2023.

Fig. 6

Type.

Peninsular Malaysia • Perak, Kuala Dipang (originally ‘‘ Kwala Dipang’ ’ on the label; originally published ‘‘ Kwala Dynong’ ’), fl., February 1885, B. Scortechini 1796 (lectotype designated by Ngernsaengsaruay et al. 2023 b: 28, CAL [ CAL 0000005844 , photo seen]; isolectotypes K [ K 000677678 !], P [ P 04701324 , photo seen]) .

Description.

Habit evergreen trees, 3–12 m tall, 15–75 cm GBH; latex white, sticky; branches decussate, horizontal or nearly horizontal; branchlets 4 - ridged, glabrous. Bark pale brown, grayish brown or blackish brown, smooth or slightly rough; inner bark pale yellow. Terminal bud concealed between the bases of the uppermost pair of petioles. Leaves decussate; lamina elliptic, oblong or elliptic-oblong, sometimes narrowly oblong, 12.5–27.5 × 5.5–11.5 cm, apex acute or obtuse, base subcordate, often subamplexicaul, margin repand and slightly revolute, coriaceous, bullate or slightly bullate, shiny dark green above, paler below, glabrous on both surfaces, midrib flattened above, raised as a prominent ridge below, secondary veins 9–20 each side, curving towards the margin and connected in distinct loops and united into an intramarginal vein, flattened above, raised below, conspicuous on both surfaces, intersecondary veins conspicuous, veinlets reticulate, visible on both surfaces, interrupted long wavy lines present, of differing lengths, nearly parallel to the midrib, running across the secondary veins to the apex, visible below; petiole green, 1.5–6 mm long, 2–5 mm in diam., not grooved, transversely rugose, glabrous, with a basal appendage clasping the branchlet; young leaves shiny pale green. Inflorescences terminal, sometimes on short, leafless lateral branchlets, cymose, usually in dense fascicles of several to many flowers. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious, 5 - merous, fully open flowers with spreading petals; bracteolate; sepals 5 and petals 5, quincuncial, coriaceous, glabrous. Male flowers 2.5–3.5 cm in diam.; bracteoles pale green, triangular 2.3–4.5 × 1.8–3.7 mm, apex acute, conduplicate with a central keel; pedicel pinkish green, reddish green or greenish red, 3–6 mm long, 2.5–4 mm in diam., widened at the apical part, terete, glabrous; sepals pinkish green, reddish green or greenish red, concave, broadly ovate or suborbicular 4.8–8 × 5–7.8 mm, unequal, apex rounded; petals variable in color: pale yellow, yellowish pink, yellowish red, pinkish red, pink or red, broadly obovate or obovate, 0.8–1.4 × 0.6–1.1 cm, subequal, sometimes unequal, apex rounded; stamens numerous, united into 5 bundles surrounding a pistillode, antepetalous, 1.7–4.2 mm long, each bundle 1.2–4 mm wide, pale yellow, pink or red; filaments fused throughout their entire length; anthers yellow, 0.3–0.6 mm long; pistillode fungiform, 5.5–7.5 mm long; sterile stigma pale yellow, pink or red, sessile, convex, indistinctly lobed, 5–6 mm in diam., papillate. Female flowers 2.5–4 cm in diam.; bracteoles and pedicel same as in male flowers; sepals and petals same as or slightly larger than in male flowers; staminodes absent; pistil fungiform, 6–8.5 mm long; ovary pale green, depressed globose 4–6 × 4.5–6.5 mm, unlobed, glabrous, 5–8 - locular; stigma pale yellow, pink or red, sessile, convex, weakly 5–8 - lobed or indistinctly lobed, 5–7 mm in diam., papillate. Fruits berries, depressed globose or depressed subglobose, sometimes globose, 2–3.5 × 2–5.3 cm, sometimes oblique, asymmetrical, unlobed, slightly concave or flattened at the apex, green, turning greenish yellow, bright yellow, orangish yellow and bright orange when ripe, smooth, glabrous, glossy, then exocarp becoming dark brownish black and slightly sinuously wrinkled when dry, pericarp 3.5–8 mm thick, exocarp thin; persistent stigma dark brown or blackish brown, circular, button-like, 0.6–1.1 cm in diam., slightly concave or flattened, weakly 5–8 - lobed or indistinctly lobed, papillate; persistent sepals pale green, turning yellowish green and orangish green, larger than in flowering material; fruiting stalk green, thick, 0.4–1.5 cm long, 3–6 mm in diam., Seeds 1–6, often aborted, brown, broadly ellipsoid, ellipsoid or subglobose, 0.9–1.6 × 0.7–1.4 cm, with pale orange fleshy pulp. The description of this species was taken from Ngernsaengsaruay et al. 2023 b.

Distribution.

Known only from Peninsular Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. It is widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor) ( Corner 1952; Whitmore 1973; Turner 1995; Azuan and Salma 2018). It can be found mainly in Pahang, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan ( Syazwani 2020).

Distribution in Thailand.

Peninsular: Yala (Than To), Narathiwat (Waeng, Su-ngai Kolok).

Habitat and ecology.

It is found in tropical lowland evergreen rain forests, occasionally along streams, 30–200 m amsl. It is also cultivated in villages and botanical gardens.

In Peninsular Malaysia, it occurs in lowland and hill forests, on hillsides and ridges up to elevations of 1,000 m amsl. It is also cultivated in villages ( Whitmore 1973; Syazwani 2020; from the specimen T. C. Whitmore Kep. FRI 4018).

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting more than once; flowering nearly throughout the year, usually in February to May; fruiting April to June and September to December.

Conservation status.

LC ( Ngernsaengsaruay et al. 2023 b).

Etymology.

The specific epithet of Garcinia prainiana refers to Sir David Prain (1857–1944), a British botanist, a herbarium curator of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta (1887–1898), and a director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1905–1922) ( Stafleu and Cowan 1983).

Vernacular names.

Chupu (จ ู ป ู) (Malay-Narathiwat); Cerapu, Chekau, Chepu, Cherapu, Cherpu, Cherupu, Chupak, Chupu, Kechupu, Kecupu, Menchepu, Menchupu (Malay); Button mangosteen (English).

Uses.

Garcinia prainiana is locally cultivated for its fruits in peninsular Thailand. The fruits (pericarp and fleshy pulp surrounding the seeds) are edible and have a sour or sweet-sour taste. It is also grown in some botanical gardens as an ornamental plant to provide botanical education.

In Peninsular Malaysia, it is commonly cultivated in village gardens. The ripe fruits are edible and are sometimes used fresh in beverages ( Allen 1965; Burkill et al. 1966). The pulp of fruits has high antioxidant content of about 91.9 % and vitamin C content of about 27.3 mg per 100 g fresh weight ( Azuan and Salma 2018). In a traditional Malay recipe, the raw fruits are described as being cooked with dried fish ( Zawiah and Othaman 2012). The wood is used for house building ( Allen 1965; Burkill et al. 1966). It is an excellent ornamental plant for use in landscape gardens in parks ( National Parks Flora and Fauna Web 2023).

Notes.

According to Ngernsaengsaruay et al. (2023 b), the male flowers of Garcinia prainiana were reported to have a small ring-shaped disk surrounding the base of the pistillode. However, in this study, we re-examined the flowers, and a small ring-shaped disk is absent.

Garcinia prainiana is also similar to G. phuongmaiensis in having coriaceous, bullate, shiny dark green, subcordate, subamplexicaul leaves with a short petiole; 5 - merous flowers; and numerous stamens, united into 5 antepetalous bundles surrounding a pistillode, but differs in relatively larger habit as a 3–12 m tall tree (vs smaller habit, shrubs, 1–3 m tall); larger leaves, 12.5–27.5 × 5.5–11.5 cm (vs smaller leaves, 4–11 × 2.5–5 cm); larger flowers, 2.5–4 cm in diam. (vs smaller flowers, c. 1 cm in diam.); variable in color of petals: pale yellow, yellowish pink, yellowish red, pinkish red, pink or red (vs white petals); staminodes absent (vs present); unlobed fruits, turning bright yellow, orangish yellow and bright orange when ripe (vs shallowly 3–4 - lobed fruits, turning bright red when ripe); seeds with pale orange fleshy pulp (vs seeds with white fleshy pulp); and is distributed in Peninsular Malaysia and Peninsular Thailand (vs Central Vietnam). The morphological characteristics and distribution of G. phuongmaiensis were taken from Tuan et al. (2023).

Vesque (1893) placed Garcinia prainiana with species of G. section Xanthochymus (subgenus Xanthochymus), and this placement was followed by Jones (1980). However, the flowers of G. prainiana have a pistillode and lack receptacular disks and antepetalous appendages, unlike those found in other G. section Xanthochymus species (e. g., G. dulcis , G. subelliptica Merr. ) or other species in “ lineage A ”. These flowers, with staminal phalanges adnate to the petals, and G. prainiana ’ s branching, adaxial, exudate-containing canal pattern agree with the molecular data and support its placement within a subclade (clade 9) of “ lineage B ” with which it shares many features ( Sweeney 2008). More recently, Gaudeul et al. (2024) reported that in addition to molecular data, G. prainiana has morphology that supports its placement into G. section Macrostigma .

Additional specimens examined.

Thailand. Central • Nakhon Nayok [Phrueksaphan Thepparat Botanicical Garden, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy , cultivated, 31 May 2019, C. Ngernsaengsaruay & W. Boonthasak G 30-31052019 ( BKF) ; Peninsular • Trang [Khao Chong Botanical Garden, Chong Subdistrict, Na Yong District , cultivated, 16 Feb 2022, C. Ngernsaengsaruay et al. G 32-16022022 ( BKF)] • Yala [Chulabhorn Phatthana 7 Project, Than To District , near waterfall, 27 Nov 2019, C. Ngernsaengsaruay & G. Sichaikhan G 31-27112019 ( BKF)] • Narathiwat [Hala-BalaWildlife Sanctuary, Ban Bala, Lo Chut Subdistrict , Waeng District , ♂ fl., 13 May 2005 (as Garcinia sp. ), M. Poopath 274 ( BKF) • Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Waeng District , fr., 22 Sep 2005, C. Niyomdham & P. Puudjaa 7593 ( BKF) • Su-ngai Kolok District , fr., 20 Apr 2002, U. Upho 556 ( QBG) • Su-ngai Kolok District , fl., cultivated, 20 May 2003, U. Upho 550 ( BKF)] .

Peninsular Malaysia • Perak [ Kwala Dipang , ♂ fl., Dec 1896, C. Curtis 3273 ( K [ K 000677679 ]) • Kg Kepayang near Ipoh , fr., 30 Oct 1971, Syed Abu Bakar Kep. FRI 20440 ( L [ L 2417220 ])] • Pahang [ Su-ngai Bertam at Kuala Mensum , fl., 2 Jun 1971, T. C. Whitmore Kep. FRI 20091 ( L [ L 2417222 ]) • Path leading to Kuala Mensum from Boh Tea , Cameron Highlands, fr. 24 Sep 1971, H. S. Loh Kep. FRI 19187 ( L [ L 2417221 ]) • Cameron Highlands Road , fr., 18 Jan 1982, K. M. Kochummen Kep. FRI 29377 ( L [ L 2417225 ]) • Kelantan [0.5 mile east of Gua Musang , fr., 14 Jul 1967, T. C. Whitmore Kep. FRI 4018 ( L [ L 2417226 ]) • Su-ngai Lebir, below Kuala Relai at Jentah , fl., 24 Apr 1976, B. C. Stone & M. Sidek 12426 ( BKF, L [ L 2417224 ], US [ US 02961246 ]) • Su-ngai Long off Su-ngai Pergau, Jeli , fr., 26 Sep 1986, A. Latiff et al. ALM 1856 ( L [ L 3806490 ], PSU) • Ketam, Cicar Tinggi, Kampung Bata, Pasir Mas , ♀ fl. & fr., 1 Aug 1992, A. Noorsiha et al. Kep. FRI 39214 ( L [ L 3878683 ]) • Pasir Putih , fl., 23 Oct 1992, H. Husmady et al. Kep. FRI 39551 ( L [ L 3806959 ]) • near Brooke Camp , Gua Musang, fl., 2 Jun 1994, H. Husmady et al. Kep. FRI 41841 ( L [ L 2417223 ])].

Figures

Figure 6. Garcinia prainiana A, B branchlets, young leaves, and mature leaves C inflorescences with male flower buds and open male flower D branches and branchlets with mature and ripe fruits E branchlets, leaves, and mature and ripe fruits F ripe fruits (pericarp removed and in transverse section showing seeds with fleshy pulp). Photos: Chatchai Ngernsaengsaruay (A – C, E, F), G Rawit Sichaikhan (D).