Garcinia hombroniana Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinch. Fasc. 5: 12, t. 79 D-J. 1883; Mahesh. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 121. 1965.

Trees; branchlets stout, quadrangular, yellowish when dry. Leaves 8.5 - 13 x 5 - 7 cm, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, slightly subequal, cuneate at base, subacute or very shortly and abruptly acuminate at apex, almost glossy above, dull beneath, lateral veins ca 32, slender, ascending, inconspicuous; petioles 10 - 13 mm long, channelled above. Male flowers: 3 - 6 in terminal fascicles, ca 2.5 cm in diam. Sepals 4, concave, thinly coriaceous, outer pair 6 - 8 x 3 - 4 mm, orbicular, inner pair 7 - 10 x 5 mm, ovate-oblong. Petals 4, ca 1 cm in diam., ovate-orbicular, concave, base thick, margin membranous. Stamens indefinite, filaments united; anthers inserted on a fleshy, slightly 4-lobed annulus, broadly oblong, bilocular, dehiscing vertically. Rudimentary pistil flat, slightly protruding above staminal mass. Female flowers: Solitary, terminal, similar to male flowers. Staminodes absent. Ovary globose, 8 - 9-locular; stigmas large, peltate, convex, edges recurved when young, with 8 shallow crenations when mature. Berries ca 3 cm in diam., subglobose, smooth, with persistent sepals, pericarp thin, crustaceous. Seeds ca 6, 2.8 cm long, oblong, with soft juicy aril.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - April.

Distrib. India: Chiefly on sandy and rocky coastal areas. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Thailand, Singapore and Malay Peninsula.

Notes. Timber used for house construction and oars. The fruit pulp is sour and edible. Though roots and leaves are reported to be medicinal, they are not in use in India.