126 



India, and was first introduced into Hawaii by Albert Jaeger. 

 In other places it is used as a stock upon which to inarch the true 

 mangosteen. It is a beautiful pyramidal tree, with a dense crown 

 on dark green glossy foliage. The leaves are long, narrow and 

 leathery, and -of distinct ornamental value. The flowers are 

 axillary and resemble those of the mangosteen. 



The Yellow-fleshed Mangosteen ripens from November to 

 February. Mature trees give good yields. The fruits are about 

 the size of a peach, with smooth, thin, golden yellow skin. The 

 flesh is also bright yellow; it is very juicy, somewhat sour, and 

 contains numerous large seeds. These fruits are not uncommon 

 in Honolulu gardens but do not appear in the markets. 



The genus Garcinia belongs to the Guttiferae, and was named 

 in honor of Laurent Garcin, a French botanist and traveler (died 

 1752), who lived and collected in India. It is a polymorphous 

 genus of 150 or more species, in tropical Africa, Asia and Poly- 

 nesia. They are usually trees, with a yellow juice. The leaves 

 are evergreen, opposite or ternate simple, often thick. The flow- 

 ers are solitary or fascicled, polygamous or dioecious ; sepals and 

 petals, 4 ; stamens in male flowers many, 2- or 3-delpnous ; 

 female flowers with staminodia ; ovar\ 2- to many-celled, with 

 sessile stigma and solitary ovule in each cell ; fruit fleshy wnth a 

 thick rind. 



The so-called "Wild Mangosteen" of the East Indies is a com- 

 mon tree (Diospyros pcregrina), with a dense crown and astrin- 

 gent fruit. The Gamboge tree {Garcinia morella) is a native of 

 southern Asia, whose resinous juice yields the well-known yel- 

 low pigment and purgative. The "Kokum Butter" of the East In- 

 dies is a solid oil derived from the seeds of Garcinia indica. 



Other members of this family, which are of interest, are the 

 familiar Hawaiian kamani, {Calophylluin inophyllum), common 

 along the island beaches and used for calabashes and cabinet- 

 work; and a fragrant shrub, Cratoxylon polyanthum var ligus- 

 trinuni. A good specimen of the latter may be seen in the 

 Queen's Hospital grounds. 



It is to be earnestly hoped that in time the true mangosteen 

 may be acclimated in Hawaii and thoroughly established here. It 

 would be a great horticultural asset to Hawaii, as it is unques- 

 tionably the finest fruit which the tropics has produced. 



So far as is known to the writer, the above account is the 

 only comprehensive statement concerning the mangosteen fruits 

 in Hawaii. Brief notes are given by Wilder, Bryan, Higgins and 

 others. 



