Taxonomic Revision of Garcinia Section Garcinia (Clusiaceae)

Species of Garcinia sect. Garcinia are typically understorey trees in rain forest and are distributed from eastern India to Malesia. A taxonomic revision of Garcinia section Garcinia (Clusiaceae) has resulted in the recognition of 13 species, two of which have three varieties each. Several species are excluded from Garcinia section Garcinia , reported as insufficiently known, or reduced to synonymy. Five species, G. acuticosta , G. discoidea, G. exigua , G. ochracea and G. sangudsangud , and two varieties, G. diospyrifolia var. minor and G. mangostana var. borneensis , are newly described. Morphological characters that are important for sectional delimitation are terminally attached inflorescences of simple cymes, stamen bundles 4 or 4-angled, and fruits with a smooth surface. Species limits are defined on the basis of a combination of characters of the male flower (i.e. shape of stamens, presence of pistillode), type of fruit, and characters of the leaf (shape and size, venation pattern and glandular lines).