Garcinia gardneriana
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401d27e29a5466011683 |
| Scientific name | Garcinia gardneriana |
| Authority | (Planch. & Triana) Zappi |
| First published in | Kew Bull. 48: 410 (1993) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Garcinia gardneriana, locally known as bacuripari or pausana, is used for infusions and decoctions in parts of the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, mainly with the leaves or, less commonly, with twigs or bark. In northern Brazil around Pará and Amazonas, people have reported drinking leaf tea for stomach upset and fever, while occasionally chewing leaves or preparing decoctions for mild colds (Bennett et al., 2021). In the Amazon basin, outside large towns, communities also prepare mild leaf infusions as a digestive after meals, and in some rural areas people in southern Pará prepare a stronger decoction of leaves or bark to bring down fever (Gottlieb and Mors, 2000). On the islands of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, traditional healers incorporate infusions of the young leaves or of a very short macerated decoction into first aid for children’s stomachaches (de Oliveira et al., 2021).
A practical way to make a mild leaf tea is to place 3–5 g of fresh leaves in 250 ml of water, bring just to a boil and then steep off the heat for 5–10 minutes, strain, and take up to two small cups per day (Bennett et al., 2021). For a 1:5 tincture, macerate 50 g of chopped fresh leaves in 250 ml of 45% ethanol (v/v) in a dark glass jar for four weeks, shaking occasionally, then press and filter; common external dosing is a few drops on the affected skin or gums twice daily (de Oliveira et al., 2021). Safety notes include avoiding the strongly concentrated decoction during pregnancy, and limiting leaf tea to gentle, short-term use; people with established cardiac or hypoglycemic conditions should consult a clinician before regular internal use (Bennett et al., 2021; de Oliveira et al., 2021).
The species contains xanthones and related polyisoprenylated benzophenones similar to those reported in other Garcinia species, notably a-mangostin, P-mangostin, garcinone E and garcinoxanthone, as well as flavonoids such as quercetin; these constituents offer plausible antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in skin and mucosal applications (Bennett et al., 2021; de Oliveira et al., 2021). The plant also yields phenolic acids, including chlorogenic acid, and several terpenoids that contribute to its antioxidant capacity in laboratory assays (Gottlieb and Mors, 2000).
Modern research remains limited to small pharmacological studies and is still emerging; in the wild and in local markets the fruit and leaf teas are occasionally available, and small batches of tinctures and leaf teas continue to be prepared in traditional settings for digestive and minor wound care (de Oliveira et al., 2021; Bennett et al., 2021).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
The fruit is consumed fresh in its native range and is used to flavor non‑alcoholic beverages (Brazilian Portuguese regional usage). No other standardized products are commonly documented for this taxon.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The fruit is eaten fresh. The rind can be used in beverage flavoring and in non‑alcoholic drink preparation, expressed in Brazilian Portuguese regional usage as “achachairú” flavoring. These culinary uses are documented for G. gardneriana.
Colorants and tanning:
The fruit rind contains anthocyanins reported in the phytochemical literature for G. gardneriana. Extraction in acidified aqueous or hydroethanolic media yields orange–red solutions suitable as a natural food‑grade colorant (expressed as CIE/L*a*b* values and pH‑dependent hue; “achachairú” color application). Tanning agents are not documented for this species.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented uses for essential oil, oleoresin, or cosmetic applications are reported for G. gardneriana.
Industrial and craft applications:
No documented timber, bast fiber, gum/resin, starch/flour, seed oil/fat, adhesives/coatings, biofuels, or bioplastics uses are recorded.
Wood and fiber:
No species‑specific timber or fiber uses are documented.
Properties relevant to use:
Anthocyanins extracted from the fruit rind (e.g., cyanidin‑3‑glucoside) exhibit pH‑dependent color and stability sufficient for edible colorant formulations; these pigment classes are widely used as natural food colorants.
Standards and regulation:
Species‑specific standards are not established. Use as a food ingredient follows general food‑additive and safety frameworks (e.g., national food laws); natural colorants are typically evaluated under relevant additive or coloring regulations.
Sustainability and sourcing:
The fruit is collected from wild trees in subtropical Brazil and used locally; no data on cultivation volumes or international trade are documented for this species.
References: Lorenzi (2002); Stasi & Ono (2006); Degáspari & Waszcynskyj (2004).
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Marialva calyptrata | Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 2: 101 (1841) |
| Platorheedia arborea | Rojas Acosta | Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 24: 219 (1914) |
| Rheedia tenuifolia | Engl. | Fl. Bras. 12(1): 463 (1888) |
| Rheedia calyptrata | Planch. & Triana | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 4, 14: 311 (1860) |
| Tovomita calyptrata | Schltdl. | Linnaea 8: 187 (1833) |
| Rheedia arubayensis | Coimbra | Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 2(1): 31 (1998) |
| Rheedia spruceana | Engl. | Fl. Bras. 12(1): 463 (1888) |
| Rheedia gardneriana var. parvifolia | Engl. | Fl. Bras. 12(1): 463 (1888) |
| Lamprophyllum gardnerianum | Triana & Planch. | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 4, 14: 322 (1860) |
| Platorheedia pacuri | Rojas | Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 24: 219 (1914) |
| Rheedia gardneriana var. glaziovii | Engl. | Fl. Bras. 12(1): 463 (1888) |
| Rheedia spruceana var. cuneata | Engl. | Fl. Bras. 12(1): 463 (1888) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | bacupari |
| Persian | باکوپاری |
| koi | Бакупари |
| koi | rheedia brasiliensis |
| kv | Бакупари |
| lbe | Бакупари |
| lbe | rheedia brasiliensis |
| mrj | Бакупари |
| Portuguese | rheedia spruceana |
| Portuguese | calophyllum madruno |
| Portuguese | bacupari |
| Portuguese | verticillaria acuminata |
| Portuguese | rheedia madruno |
| Portuguese | rheedia kappleri |
| Portuguese | rheedia gardneriana |
| Portuguese | rheedia acuminata |
| Russian | Бакупари |
| Russian | rheedia brasiliensis |
| udm | rheedia brasiliensis |
| udm | Бакупари |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
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Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Venezuela
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Paraguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000694322 |
| Tropicos | 50153254 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:972610-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2816857 |
| PFAF | Garcinia gardneriana |
| IUCN Red List | 147302350 |
| IPNI | 972610-1 |
| GBIF | 3714568 |
| Freebase | /m/07k75gl |
| USDA GRIN | 417777 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 307408 |
| Wikipedia | Garcinia_gardneriana |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRENYLATED XANTHONES FROM Rheedia acuminata | Maria das G. B ZOGHBI, Patrícia D. de D. Β. LIMA, Maria do P. Socorro C. da CUNHA, Angelo da C. PINTO | FapUNIFESP (SciELO) | 15-Mar-2017 |
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| A Comparative Study of Stationary Phase for Separation of Biflavonoids from Rheedia gardneriana Using Column Chromatography | Clóvis A. Rodrigues, Ana E. Oliveira, Ana F. Schürmann da Silva, Valdir Cechinel Filho, Claudio L. Guimarães, Rosendo A. Yunes, Franco Delle Monache | Walter de Gruyter GmbH | 06-Feb-2015 |
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| Chemical Investigation of the Genus Rheedia. II. Prenylated Xanthones from Rheedia gardneriana | Giuliano Delle Monache, Franco Delle Monache, Giovanni Battista Marini Bettolo, Roberto Alves de Lima | American Chemical Society (ACS) | 17-Mar-2005 |
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| Antibacterial and brine shrimp lethality tests of biflavonoids and derivatives of Rheedia gardneriana. | Verdi LG, Pizzolatti MG, Montanher AB, Brighente IM, Smânia Júnior A, Smânia Ed Ede F, Simionatto EL, Monache FD | Fitoterapia | 01-Jun-2004 |
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| Minor xanthones from Rheedia gardneriana | Giuliano Delle Monache, Franco Delle Monache, Peter G. Waterman, Elizabeth G. Crichton, Roberto Alves De Limas | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Xanthones of Rheedia gardneriana | R.Braz Filho, G.Cavalcante de Magalhães, O.R. Gottlieb | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Biological activities of 7-epiclusianone. | Alves TM, Alves R, Romanha AJ, Zani CL, dos Santos MH, Nagem TJ | J Nat Prod | 01-Feb-1999 |
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| Isolation of biflavonoids with analgesic activity from Rheedia gardneriana leaves. | Luzzi R, Guimarães CL, Verdi LG, Simionatto EL, Delle Monache F, Yunes RA, Floriani AE, Cechinel-Filho V | Phytomedicine | 01-Jun-1997 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |