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Garcinia binucao – Wikipedia

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Taxonomy:
– Binukaw belongs to the genus Garcinia of the family Clusiaceae.
– The species was first described by Jacques Denys Choisy in 1849 based on the basionym Cambogia binucao by Francisco Manuel Blanco in 1837.
– Binukaw is an evergreen tree reaching a height of 25m with a trunk diameter of 40cm.
– Leaves are oblong to obovate, 5 to 12cm long and 4 to 7cm wide.
– The flowers are reddish to creamy white, and the fruits are round berries, about 4cm in diameter.

Distribution:
– Binukaw is endemic to the Philippines.

Culinary:
– The sour fruits of Binukaw are edible and can be consumed raw.
– They are commonly used as a souring agent in traditional Filipino dishes like sinigang.

Conservation:
– The species is facing rarity due to illegal logging and deforestation for agriculture.

See also:
– Garcinia atroviridis, a related species used similarly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
– Garcinia dulcis.
– Garcinia gummi-gutta.
– Garcinia morella.

References:
– Garcinia binucao (Blanco) Choisy. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
– Garcinia binucao (Blanco) Choisy. Plants of the World Online, The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
– Garcinia binucao (Blanco) Choisy. KewScience: Plants of the World Online, KewScience.
– Mansfeld, Rudolf (2001). Mansfelds Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops Volume 1.
– Garcinia binucao (PROSEA). Pl@ntUse.

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