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New 2001

E. H. Erickson and A. H. Atmowidjojo

MANGOSTEEN

Garcinia mangostana L., family Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) is known as the “Queen of Fruits”. Its origin is in Southeast Asia, probably the Malay Archipelago. It can now be found in Northern Australia, Brazil, Burma, Central America, Hawaii, Southern India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Siri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and other tropical countries. Mangosteen is one of the most widely recognized tropical fruits and has universal appeal because of its quality in color, shape and flavor. Demand often exceeds supply. The fruit is 2-3 in ( cm) in diameter. A thick reddish-purple rind covers the aril or pulp which is segmented like that of an orange. The white, moist, soft and juicy flesh is sweet and aromatic, has a high sugar content, but is low in vitamins and minerals. It is usually eaten fresh, but can be stored successfully for short periods of time. It is also canned, frozen, or made into juice, preserves, and syrup. Mangosteen is also used as a pharmaceutical (Kanchanapoom and Kanchanapoom, 1998; Martin, 1980; Nakasone and Paull, 1998).

Plant:

Unknown in the wild state, Mangosteen is found only as a cultivated female tree (male trees appear non-existent) and may be a fortuitous hybrid between two sister species (G. malaccensis and G. hombroniana). It is an apomictic polyploid that is morphologically intermediate between these two species. Moreover, genetic variation is minimal and no cultivars have been reported. Hence, it has been suggested that all trees may have come from a single clone. Because Mangosteen is difficult to propagate vegetatively, most trees are produced from seeds which remain viable for only a few days. The juvenile phase may last 5 to 15 years depending on growing conditions (Richards, 1990).

Grown primarily in back yards and gardens, these attractive pyramidal evergreen trees grow to a height of 30 ft ( 6-25 m). Some effort has been made to establish commercial orchards, however, obstacles yet to be overcome include difficulties in propagation, the slow growth period, problems in harvesting, and yield. Mangosteen requires a wet lowland tropical climate and moist well drained soil high in organic matter. It is killed at temperatures below 41⁰ F(5⁰ C) and sunburns easily (Bailey & Bailey, 1978; Kanchanapoom and Kanchanapoom, 1998; Nakasone and Paull, 1998; Richards, 1990; Wieble et al., 1992).

Inflorescence:

The large yellow green flowers are tetramerous (flower parts in sets or multiples of four) and have thickened petals tinged with red. A Discoidal stigma is subtended by a globose ovary. Small staminodes may be present or dehisced. Flowers are borne terminally, either singly or in pairs on shoot tips and mature branches. Mangosteen usually flowers only once annually, however, flowering can occur twice annually following a dry period. Fruit set is highly variable (Kanchanapoom and Kanchanapoom, 1998; Nakasone and Paull, 1998; Richards, 1990; Wieble et al., 1992).

Pollination Requirements:

Mangosteen is an obligate apomict in which reproduction is entirely asexual (parthenogenesis). There are no verified reports of pollen production, floral visitors which might be viewed as pollinators, nor of nectar production in Mangosteen (Kanchanapoom and Kanchanapoom, 1998; Nakasone and Paull, 1998; Richards, 1990; Wieble et al., 1992).

Pollination Recommendations and Practices:

None, other than proper cultivation (Kanchanapoom and Kanchanapoom, 1998).

LITERATURE CITED:

Bailey, L. H. and Bailey, E. Z. (eds.)

1978. Hortus Third. 1290 pp. Macmillan Publ. Co., Inc., New York, NY.

Kanchanapoom, K. and Kanchanapoom, M.

1998. Mangosteen. In Shaw, P. E., Chan Jr., H. T., and Nagy, S. eds., Tropical and Subtropical Fruits, pp. 191-215. AGSCIENCE, INC., Auburndale, FL.

Martin, F. W.

1980. Durian and Mangosteen. In Nagy, S., and Shaw, P. E., eds Tropical and Subtropical Fruits, pp 401-414. AVI PUBLISHING, INC., WestPort, CN.

Nakasone, H. Y. and Paull, R. E.

1998. Tropical Fruits. 445 pp. CAB INTERNATIONAL, Wallingford, UK.

Richards, A. J.

1990. Studies in Garcinia, Dioecious Tropical Forest Trees: The Origin of the Mangosteen. Bot. Jour. of the Linnean Society. 103: 301-308.

Wieble, J., Chacko, E. K., and Downton, W. J. S.

1992. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) - A Potential Crop for Tropical Northern Australia. Acta. Horticulturae. 321: 132-137.