Garcinia indica - Vrikshamia

KOKUM(punarpuli)

Garcinia indica a plant in the mangosteen family, mostly in Asia and Africa. Garcinia indica is indigenous to the Western Ghats region of India located along the western coast of the country.

Uses

Indigestion, Cuts, Snakebites, Diabetes, Cancers, Skin problems, Pimples, Diarrhea, Sore throats

Parts Used

Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Murgina, Punarpuli
Hindi	Kokum
Malayalam	Kaattampi
Tamil	Murgal, Murgal-mara
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Vrikshamia, Amlabija
English	Kokam, Goa butter tree

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Amla (sour), Madhura (sweet)

Guna

Ruksha (Dry), Guru (heavy)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Madhura (sweet)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Opposite	estipulate; petiole 5-12 mm long, slender, glabrous; lamina 6.5-11 x 1.5-4 cm, lanceolate or obovate-oblong, base attenuate, apex acute or acuminate, margin entire, glabrous, shining, membranous; lateral nerves 7-18 pairs, parallel, slender, prominent, intercostae reticulate.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Polygamodieocious	Axillary and terminal fascicles		Many	pedicels 6 mm long; sepals 4, yellowish-orange to pinkish-orange, coriaceous, ovate-rotundate, outer ones 3-4.5 mm long, inner ones 4.5-5 mm long; petals 4, 5-6 mm long, thick; stamens many, inserted on a hemispheric subquardate torus; filaments short; anthers oblong, truncate, loculi laterally introrse; rudimentary pistil absent or a few equalling the stamens; female flowers: solitary, terminal; pedicels 3 mm long; sepals and petals as in male flowers; staminodes 10-, 18, in 4 unequal, 2 to 3 seriate phalanges alternating with petals, 1-3 mm long; ovary superior, 4-8 locular, subglobose; stigma 4-8 rayed, convex, coronate, rays tuberculate, often 2-seriate.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
Berry	2.5-4 cm across		4-8 loculed, purple or wine brown, surrounded by persistent calyx; pulp red	seeds 5-8, compressed in acidic pulp.	{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Hingvadi churna
• Yavanyadi churna

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Garcinia indica requires a warm and humid tropical climate.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Forest lands, Riversides, Wastelands.

Photo Gallery

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  Leaves

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  Nuts

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  Fruits

External Links

• Garcinia indica on india agronet.com
• Garcinia indica on ccari.res.in
• Kokum Farming Information