Newsletter
Garcinia atroviridis Griff. ex T. Anderson
by Mrs. Syahida Emiza Suhaimi
Newsletter
Garcinia atroviridis Griff. ex T. Anderson
by Mrs. Syahida Emiza Suhaimi

Garcinia atroviridis is known as Asam Gelugur or Asam Keping in Malay. The species belongs to the Guttiferae, the mangosteen family. It is a large rainforest tree, native to Malaysia, India, Myanmar and Indo-China. In Peninsular Malaysia, this species grows wild in lowland and hill forest to 600 m altitude but is also widely cultivated for its economic and medicinal value.

The Gelugor district in Penang, now a satellite town of George Town, is named after the tree, also known as "Gu-Lu-Gok" by the local Hokkien.

Garcinia atroviridis grows to 25 m tall. It has a trunk fluted at the base with dull grey, cracked and fissured bark and drooping branches. The tree produces a little transparent or yellow sap from the inner bark. Leaves on young shoots are reddish, and then become dark glossy green when mature. The laminas are narrowly oblong, pointed at the tip and abruptly tapered at the base. This species is a dioecious tree with unisexual flowers. The female flowers are borne solitary and are reddish, large and sometimes faintly fragrant. In contrast, male flowers are borne in terminal clusters. The male flowers are uncommon with most trees being female because female trees are selected for planting in the villages due to their use. The fruits are juicy, round, about 7 to 10 cm in diameter and fluted with 12 to 16 ribs and grooves. It turns orange-yellow when ripe with the large brownish disc-like stigma persistent at the tip. The seeds are a bright orange colour.

Asam Gelugur has been used for a long time. It was said that a decoction of the leaves has traditionally been used for the treatment of earache. The fruit is cut into slices and sun-dried and sold commercially in markets and sundry shops, where it is known as Asam Keping. It is extremely sour and is used in cooking curries, stews and soups or for dressing fish. The fruit is also said to have medicinal value. The fruits contain ascorbic acid, which is antibacterial, and citric acid that can reduce obesity and lower cholesterol and excess fat. Malay women used to drink a decoction of Asam Gelugur to deflate the stomach after childbirth. Furthermore, Chinese believe chewing the fruits can eliminate bad breath.

QR Code
Scan QR code for mobile experience

Other articles

Tragulus napu (F. Cuvier, 1822)

Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan   •   29 Mar 2024   •   89 views

Manilkara zapota (Sapotaceae)

Mrs. Syazwani Binti Azeman   •   29 Feb 2024   •   425 views

Sonerila griffithii C.B.Clarke (Melastomataceae)

Dr. Avelinah Julius   •   31 Jan 2024   •   811 views

Meistera lappacea (Ridl.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman (Zingiberaceae)

Siti Eisya Nabiha Damahuri & Dr. Avelinah Julius   •   31 Dec 2023   •   974 views

Ploiarium alternifolium (Bonnetiaceae)

Mrs. Syazwani Bt. Azeman   •   15 Dec 2023   •   1417 views
Get updates and an exclusive news when you sign up to our free newsletter.
Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS)   by   Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC)


Copyright © 2024, Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER - The Malaysian Government, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), Malaysia Biodiversity Centre (MBC) and Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused by the usage of any information obtained from this website. By entering this site, you acknowledge and agree that no portion of this site, including but not limited to names, logos, trademarks, patents, sound, graphics, charts, text, audio, video, information or images are either MyBIS property or the property permitted by third-party and shall not be used without prior written approval from the owner(s).
Best viewed using latest Mozila Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 10 with Resolution 1024 x 768px or above. Version 2.0 / 2016
Website Citation: MyBIS (2024). Malaysia Biodiversity Information System. Published on the Internet https://www.mybis.gov.my/, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Malaysia Biodiversity Centre & Forest Research Institute Malaysia. [Retrieved 24 April 2024].