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''Garcinia atroviridis'', known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping (in Malay, th, ส้มแขก) is a large rainforest
The tree grows to a height of more than 20 m and has a long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round
The fruit contains 
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
native to Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
Hassan, Dr. W. E. (2006). ''Healing Herbs of Malaysia''. Kuala Lumpur: Federal Land Development Agency. and Sumatra . This species grows wild throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. ''Garcinia atroviridis'' is a large perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and Malaysia.
Description
The tree grows to a height of more than 20 m and has a long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
s are borne singly on twig ends about 7–10 cm in diameter. The ripe fruits are bright orange yellow, which are sliced, dried and used in curries
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradi ...
or stewed in plenty of sugar to be eaten.
Uses
The fruit contains citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in ...
, tartaric acid
Tartaric acid is a white, crystalline organic acid that occurs naturally in many fruits, most notably in grapes, but also in bananas, tamarinds, and citrus. Its salt, potassium bitartrate, commonly known as cream of tartar, develops naturally ...
, malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms ( ...
and ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid
Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is a derivative of citric acid that is found in a variety of tropical plants including '' Garcinia cambogia'' and ''Hibiscus sabdariffa''.
There are four isomers, (+)- and (-)-hydroxycitric acid, and (+)- and (-)-allo-hyd ...
, and flavonoids.
Ripe asam fruit is bright-yellow orange. Sun-dried slices of the fruits, locally known as "asam keping", are commercially available and are popularly used as a vegetable salad and is considered extremely sour. The fruit is sliced, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient in Asian dishes such as curries and soups.
Asam gelugor is a perennial fruit tree native to the tropical climate in Malaysia. The trees can also be found in other parts of South East Asia, particularly in Thailand where demand for the asam fruit is increasing.
See also
*''Garcinia binucao
''Garcinia binucao'' is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family. It is commonly known as binukaw or batuan, is a species of ''Garcinia'' endemic to the Philippines. It is not cultivated, though its edible fruits are harvested from ...
'', a related species used similarly in the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
*''Garcinia dulcis
''Garcinia dulcis'' is a tropical fruit tree native to the Philippines, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, eastern Indonesia (Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and the Maluku Islands), and Papua New Guinea. It was domesticated early and spread inland into mainland ...
''
*''Garcinia gummi-gutta
''Garcinia gummi-gutta'' is a tropical species of '' Garcinia'' native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Common names include ''Garcinia cambogia'' (a former scientific name), as well as brindle berry, and Malabar tamarind. The fruit looks like ...
''
*''Garcinia morella
''Garcinia morella'' is a species of tree in the family Clusiaceae found in India, and Sri Lanka.
Common names
* Assamese: Kũzi Thekera (কুঁঁজী ঠেকেৰা)
*English: ''gamboge'' (Sri Lanka), ''gamboge'' (India)
*Tamil: ''ira ...
''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4920519 atroviridis Medicinal plants of Asia Plants described in 1874 Fruits originating in Asia Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Flora of Thailand