Clusiaceae
Garcinia

Garcinia volkensii Engl.

First published in Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 275 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Tropical Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Guttiferae, N. K. B. Robson. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched glabrous evergreen tree or shrub, (2) 4–20 m. high; branches often forming a wide angle with the stem, stiff, grooved or winged, usually ± flattened at first, eventually ± quadrangular or cylindric (triangular when leaves are whorled); bark grey-brown.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite (rarely in whorls of 3), ± coriaceous, petiolate; lamina (2) 4–11 × (1) 1·5–6 cm., very variable in size, shape and texture, lanceolate or oblanceolate to broadly ovate or obovate, acute to rounded-apiculate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, dark bluish- or yellowish-green above, paler below, flat or ± bullate, with main lateral veins prominent on both sides, tertiary venation usually ± prominent above, margins sometimes incrassate, and with branched translucent glandular canals visible in the young leaves at least, and longitudinal opaque canals visible below; petiole 3–18 mm. long and grooved above, transversely wrinkled; ligule prominent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, cymose, loosely branched or;: condensed; branches quadrangular or ± flattened; peduncle up to 4 cm. or absent; bracts scale-like, carinate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers dioecious, numerous to single, pedicellate, rarely almost sessile, globose or campanulate. Male flowers with 5 spongy fasciclodes uniting in the centre of the flower, alternating with 5 fascicles each of 5–9 stamens with cream filaments united for most of their length and bearing brown or red anthers. Female flowers with small fasciclodes alternating with staminode-fascicles; ovary 2–4-locular, pale green or yellowish; stigma 5-lobed, peltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, ± unequal, coriaceous, carinate, orbicular to triangular-ovate, with the margin often ± papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, 4–9 mm. long, c. 4–5 times as long as the sepals, ± carnose, orbicular to broadly obovate, cream to greenish-white, sometimes tinged with pink, with yellowish glandular canals radiating from the base.
sex Male
Male flowers with 5 spongy fasciclodes uniting in the centre of the flower, alternating with 5 fascicles each of 5–9 stamens with cream filaments united for most of their length and bearing brown or red anthers.
sex Female
Female flowers with small fasciclodes alternating with staminode-fascicles; ovary 2–4-locular, pale green or yellowish; stigma 5-lobed, peltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry globose, ovoid, or 2–4 lobed, 1–3 cm. in diam., dark green turning yellow, 1–4-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 1–2 (3) cm. long.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Guttiferae, P. Bamps, N. Robson & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched glabrous evergreen tree or shrub (2–)4–20 m. tall; branches stiff, grooved or ± winged, flattened, ± 3–4-angled or rounded; bark grey-brown, smooth, yielding a milky juice or yellow latex when cut.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or rarely in whorls of 3–4; blades very variable, lanceolate or oblanceolate to broadly ovate or obovate, (1.2–)4–20 cm. long, (0.9–)1.5–8 cm. wide, rarely exceeding 11 × 4.5 cm., acute to rounded at the apex but apiculate, cuneate to rounded at the base, mostly dark green above and yellowish or pale green beneath, mostly distinctly coriaceous, the margin often thickened; venation mostly prominent on both faces when dry, the surface often rugulose, with translucent and opaque canals usually visible; petiole 0.3–1.8 cm. long, with prominent ligule 2–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers dioecious, in terminal lax ± condensed 1–many-flowered cymose inflorescences; peduncle 0–4 cm. long; bracts scale-like, keeled; pedicels 0–2 mm. long. Male flowers with 5 yellow spongy honeycombed fasciclodes uniting to form a star in the centre of the flower, alternating with 5 greenish cream staminal-bundles, the filaments joined for most of their length, each bundle 3.5 mm. long, 0.7 mm. wide, with 5–9 red, brown or mustard-coloured anthers. Female flowers with small fasciclodes alternating with sterile staminal-bundles; ovary green or yellowish, 2–4-locular; stigma white, peltate, 5-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, reddish, ± unequal, rounded to triangular-ovate, 1–2.5 mm. long and wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, cream to greenish white, sometimes tinged with pink, with yellowish linear glands radiating from the base, fleshy, round to broadly obovate, 4–9 mm. long, 3.5–7 mm. wide, glabrous.
sex Male
Male flowers with 5 yellow spongy honeycombed fasciclodes uniting to form a star in the centre of the flower, alternating with 5 greenish cream staminal-bundles, the filaments joined for most of their length, each bundle 3.5 mm. long, 0.7 mm. wide, with 5–9 red, brown or mustard-coloured anthers.
sex Female
Female flowers with small fasciclodes alternating with sterile staminal-bundles; ovary green or yellowish, 2–4-locular; stigma white, peltate, 5-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit green turning yellow, reddish brown or orange, globose, ovoid or 2–4-lobed, l–3(–5) cm. in diameter, smooth and glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds red, 1–4, ovoid, l–2.2(–4.5) cm. long, 0.7–2(–3) cm. wide and 0.6–1.4 cm. thick, often much compressed.
Habitat
Evergreen forest; (30–)960–2400 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T5 T6 T7
[FTEA]

Common Names

unknown
munyawa

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0