About Garcinia livingstonei T.Anderson
Garcinia livingstonei T.Anderson, commonly called African mangosteen, lowveld mangosteen, Livingstone's garcinia, or imbe, is a species of the Garcinia genus. It is native to a wide region of tropical Africa, ranging from Côte d'Ivoire east to Somalia, and south to South Africa. This species is an evergreen small tree that reaches 6 to 18 meters in height. Its leaves grow in opposite pairs or whorls of 3 to 4; individual leaves are blue-green, oval-shaped, 6 to 11 cm long, and 3 to 5.5 cm wide. Flowers grow in clusters directly on the plant's stems. The fruit is a small, bright orange, thin-skinned berry 1 to 4 cm in diameter, containing one large single seed. The plant produces only a small yield of edible fruit, which has a pleasant sweet yet acidic flavor, but also contains latex that some people find unpleasant. As a traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known fruit has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, support rural development, and sustain sustainable landcare. It is mainly grown as an ornamental, though its fruit is sometimes consumed. The juice of the fruit is known to cause very heavy staining. The fruit is mostly eaten fresh, but it is also used to make drinks. This species can be cultivated in southern Florida. Both male and female plants are required to produce fruit, but both sexes can be grafted onto a single plant to get fruit.
