Garcinia indica

Botanical Name Garcinia indica

Common Name – Vrikshamla, Amlashaka (Sanskrit), Kokam (Marathi), Punarpuli (Kannada)

Habit

  • Medium sized evergreen Tree
  • Slow growing

Habitat

  • Shaded areas well-drained laterite soil

Distribution – Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Assam

Specific Properties

  • Endemic to India
  • Vulnerable, decreasing in wild, as per IUCN red list of threatened species

Ecology

  • Birds, Bonnet macaques, langurs, squirrels, fruit bats feed on the fruits
  • Macaques also feed on the tender shoots
  • Flowers attract bees and butterflies

Uses

  • Root, bark, fruit and the seed oil are used to treat piles, abdominal disorders, dysentery and diarrhoea, mouth diseases and worm infestations
  • Kokam is richest source of anthocyanin – chemo-preventive and anticancer agent, can inhibit the growth of human oral, breast, colon, and prostate tumour cells
  • It is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, anticancer activity, relieves pain, eliminates inflammation, reduces allergic reactions, boosts immune system, optimises digestion, treating heat strokes, treats hyperacidity etc
  • Fruit is used to make juice and used in food both in fresh and dried form
  • It is appetite suppressant, aid in total weight loss and fat loss
  • Butter extracted from seed is used in the preparation of chocolate and sugar, used in treatment of dysentery, mucous diarrhoea, chaps and fissures of the lips, in cosmetic applications -skin lotions and creams, body butter, soaps

Propagation

  • Seeds

Share this page

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn