some more info about Red Mango

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Hi,

 

Here's some more information about the " Red Mango " (Garcinia indica)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

Take good care.

 

Peace, Bliss & Happiness,

Heidi

 

 

 

Garcinia indica (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

 

 

 

Scientific classification

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_classification>

 

Kingdom:

 

Plantae <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant>

 

Division:

 

Magnoliophyta <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnoliophyta>

 

Class:

 

Magnoliopsida <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnoliopsida>

 

Order:

 

Malpighiales <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpighiales>

 

Family:

 

Clusiaceae <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clusiaceae>

 

Subfamily:

 

Clusioideae

<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clusioideae & action=edit>

 

Tribe:

 

Garcinieae

<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Garcinieae & action=edit>

 

Genus:

 

Garcinia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia>

 

Species:

 

G. indica

 

 

 

 

Garcinia indica is a fruit tree

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_tree> , of culinary

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culinary> , pharmaceutical

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical> , and industrial

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry> uses. The tree is also

ornamental, with a dense canopy

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_%28forest%29> of green leaves and

red-tinged tender emerging leaves. It is indigenous to the Western Ghats

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghats> region of India

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India> , along the western coast. It is

found in forest lands, riversides, and wasteland, and also gets

cultivated on a small scale. It does not require irrigation, spraying or

fertilizers.

 

These plants prefer evergreen forests

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_forest> , but some also thrive

in relatively low-rainfall areas. Garcinia indica is known by various

names across India <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India> -- including

Bindin, Biran, Bhirand, Bhinda, Kokum, Katambi, Panarpuli, Ratamba or

Amsol. In the English language, it is known by various names, such as

mangosteen, wild mangosteen, or red mango.

 

The genus Garcinia belonging to the family Clusiaceae includes some 200

species found in the Old World tropics, specially Asia

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia> and Africa

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa> . Out of the 35 species found in

India, 17 are endemic. Of these, seven are endemic to the Western Ghats

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ghats> region (lying along

western coastal India), six in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four

in the North-Eastern region of India.

Uses

Called " kokum " or " bin'na " in parts of western India, the Garcinia

indica seed contains 23-26% oil <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil> ,

which remains solid at room temperature and is used in the preparations

of chocolates <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate> , medicines

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine> and cosmetics

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmetics> . It is used as a slightly

bitter spice in recipes from Maharashtra

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtra> and as a souring agent and

substitute for tamarind <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind> in

curries and other dishes from Coorg <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coorg>

.. It is also used in Konkani cuisine, in Gujarat, and some cuisines of

South India.

 

Recently, industries have started extracting Hydroxy Citric Acid

<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hydroxy_Citric_Acid & action=ed\

it> (HCA) from the rind of the fruit. HCA is claimed to have

fat-reducing properties for the human body

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body> . Scientists in India suggests

that since this fruit reduced fat <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat> ,

cools the body, purifies the blood <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood>

and fights cholesterol <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol> .

Wines <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine> and liquores

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor> made from it could attract the

health-conscious.

 

India's first national seminar on 'Kokum' or Garcinia indica was held

March 4 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_4> -5

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_5> , 2005

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005> at the Goa University

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_University> , Goa

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa> . Those researching on the crop see

it as having a bright future: it is rainfed, doesn't have any pest or

diseases apart from the monkey menace, and is almost a " zero-attention "

crop.

 

One paper presented at the Goa seminar (March 2005) suggests that the

Garcinia indica has medicinal uses both as a digestive tonic, and to

cope with paralysis. In the first case, about half to one glass of curry

is prepared from the fruits, with a little salt and sugar, to be taken

after meals. For paralysis, the clean-chopped stem bark is finely

powdered and is added to boiling water. After 2-3 minutes, a lightly

cooled decoction is used for washing the affected parts, two to three

times a day.