Garcinia cowa var. cowa Choisy

Garcinia cowa Roxb. ex Choisy var. cowa, Rheedea 33 (3): 123. figs 5, 6. 2023. Figs 1, 2, 3 Description. Habit evergreen, occasionally briefly deciduous trees, dioecious, 5–20 (– 25) m tall, 25–140 cm GBH; exudate yellow and sticky; branches decussate, horizontal, or nearly horizontal, sometimes drooping; branchlets green, 4 - angular, glabrous. Bark brown, dark brown, or dark grayish brown, rough, shallowly fissured, or scaly; inner bark red, pinkish red, or creamy white. Terminal bud concealed between the bases of the uppermost pair of petioles. Leaves decussate; lamina variable in shape and size, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate, lanceolate-ovate or ovate, 5–15 × 3–6 cm (occasionally larger in some populations, 16–20 × 4–7 cm), apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate, margin entire or repand, subcoriaceous, dark green above, paler below, glabrous and glossy on both surfaces, midrib slightly raised (proximal part) and flattened (distal part) above, raised below, secondary veins 6–10 pairs, curving towards the margin and connected in distinct loops and united into an intramarginal vein, flattened above, slightly raised below, with intersecondary veins, veinlets reticulate, visible above, interrupted long wavy lines (glandular wavy lines, also called exudate containing canals) present, of differing lengths, running across the secondary veins to the apex; petiole green, sometimes with the uppermost pair greenish red, turning green with age, 0.6–1.5 cm long, 2–5 mm diam., slightly raised above, glabrous, with a basal appendage clasping the branchlet; fresh leaves brittle when crushed; young leaves red or brownish red, turning pale green, glossy. Inflorescences terminal or borne on short, leafless lateral branchlets, in fascicles of 2–9 - flowered cymes (staminate inflorescence usually bearing more flowers than pistillate ones), or sometimes a solitary flower (in pistillates); bracts early caducous. Flowers unisexual, 4 - merous; pedicel greenish yellow to yellow, glabrous; bracteoles early caducous; sepals and petals decussate, pale yellow to yellow, glabrous; sepals concave; petals not concave, slightly thick and fleshy. Flower buds pale green, becoming greenish yellow to yellow before anthesis, subglobose or globose, 3–6 mm diam. Staminate flowers 0.8–1.2 cm diam.; pedicel 0.8–2 cm long, 2.5–3.5 mm diam.; sepals 4, broadly elliptic or elliptic, sometimes orbicular, 3.5–7 × 3–7 mm, the outer pair slightly larger than the inner pair, apex rounded; petals 4, broadly oblong, oblong, broadly elliptic or elliptic, 0.8–1.2 × 0.6–1 cm, subequal, apex rounded; stamens numerous, united into a single central 4 - sided or weakly 4 - lobed bundle surrounding a pistillode or without a pistillode, bundle 4–6.5 mm diam; filaments very short; anthers small, 4 - thecous, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode fungiform (mushroom-shaped), 1.5–2.5 mm long. Pistillate flowers 0.9–1.4 cm diam.; pedicel 3–5 mm long, 2–4 mm diam.; sepals and petals same as in staminate flowers; staminodes 18–27, united into 4 bundles, surrounding the ovary; pistil fungiform, 4.5–6.5 mm long; ovary pale green, subglobose or globose, 3.5–6 × 4–6.5 mm; stigma pale yellow, convex, radiate, shallowly 6–9 - lobed, 3.5–5 mm diam., papillate. Fruits berries, green, turning yellow to orangish yellow when ripe, glabrous, cut fruits with a sticky yellow exudate, variable in shape, subglobose, globose, depressed globose, or broadly ellipsoid, 3–7 × 2.5–5 cm, sometimes oblique, asymmetrical, shallowly or weakly 6–9 - lobed, without or with a short, thick beak at the apex, pericarp fleshy, 2–3.5 mm thick; persistent stigma dark brown, 3.5–6 mm diam., weakly 6–9 - lobed, papillate; persistent sepals slightly larger than in flowering material; fruiting stalk short and thick, 3–6 mm long, 3–5.5 mm diam. Seeds 6–9, sometimes aborted (1–7), dark brown or brown mottled with paler irregular lines, semi-ellipsoid, 1.4–2.7 × 0.8–1.3 cm, rounded at both ends, with a yellow to orangish yellow fleshy pulp. Distribution. India (Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China (West and South Yunnan), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 4 A). Distribution in Thailand. It is found in all floristic regions. Northern: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Phitsanulok; North-Eastern: Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen; Eastern: Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani; South-Western: Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan; Central: Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok; South-Eastern: Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat; Peninsular: Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Narathiwat (Fig. 4 A). Habitat and ecology. This species is found in a wide variety of habitats, including tropical lowland evergreen rain forests, dry evergreen forests, coastal dry evergreen forests, peat swamp forests, beach forests, deciduous dipterocarp forests, pine – deciduous dipterocarp forests, mixed deciduous forests, mixed deciduous forests on limestone hills, lower montane rain forests, lower montane pine – oak forests, forest edges, and secondary forests. It is often found along streams, at elevations from near sea level up to 1,500 m a. m. s. l. Phenology. Flowering and fruiting occur more than once, nearly throughout the year; flowering peaks from November to April, and fruiting peaks from March to August. Conservation status. Garcinia cowa var. cowa is widely distributed from India to China and Peninsular Malaysia. It has been recorded from numerous localities and has a large Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 229,508,285.78 km 2 and an Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 712 km 2. In Thailand, it occurs naturally throughout all seven floristic regions, with an EOO of 900,464.98 km 2 and an AOO of 440 km 2. Given its wide distribution and the abundance of localities, the species faces no significant threat of extinction. We therefore assess its conservation status as Least Concern (LC), in agreement with Deepu and Geethakumary (2020). Etymology. The specific epithet of Garcinia cowa is derived from the local Hindi name “Cowa”, which is a vernacular name used for this species in India (Roxburgh 1832; Planchon and Triana 1860). Vernacular names. Ka muang (กะมวง) (Chumphon, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 11624); Ka muang sai (กะมวงทราย) (Chumphon, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 11474); Ka-ni (กาน ิ) (Malay-Narathiwat, reported by Pooma and Suddee 2014); Kwa (กวะ) (Karen-Kanchanaburi, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 10317); Cha muang (ชะมวง) (General, Chon Buri, from the specimen D. J. Collins 969, Trat, from the specimen C. Phengklai et al. 13144); Nguan lueang (ง ้ วนเหล ื อง) (Loei, from the specimen K. Suvatabandhu 220); Tong mang (โตงมาง) (Sakon Nakhon, from the specimen W. McClatchey WCM 3470); Nam nong (น ้ ำนอง) (Kanchanaburi, from the specimen K. Bunchuai 37); Bong nang (บงน ั ่ ง) (Sakon Nakhon, from the specimen P. Suvarnakoses 2035); Ma nguang (มะงวง) (Phetchaburi, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 20613); Ma mong (มะโมง) (Saraburi, from the specimen Unknown 10 at BKF 12125); Ma pong (มะป ่ อง) (Chiang Mai, from the specimen T. Santisuk 6642); Mong (มง) (Ranong, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 16349; Saraburi, from the specimen A. Wanaraks 77); Mong (โมง) (Si Sa Ket, from the specimens A. F. G. Kerr 8324 and P. Suvarnakoses 1486); Muang (มวง) (Surat Thani, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 18221); Muang som (มวงส ้ ม) (Nakhon Si Thammarat, reported by Pooma and Suddee 2014); Yang nok (ยางนก) (Trat, from the specimen C. Phengklai et al. 13361); Som kung yai (ส ้ มก ุ ้ งใหญ ่) (Khon Kaen, from the specimen Prakob 6 at BKF 186121); Som nguang (ส ้ มงวง) (Saraburi, from the specimen Unknown 10 at BKF 12125); Som pong (ส ้ มป ่ อง) (Phayao, from the specimen Put 3984); Som mong (ส ้ มโมง) (Ubon Ratchathani, from the specimen P. Puudjaa 1443); Som muang (ส ้ มมวง) (Buri Ram, from the specimen S. Suksakorn 981; Sakon Nakhon, from the specimen W. McClatchey WCM 3470); Mak mok (หมากโมก) (Udon Thani, reported by Pooma and Suddee 2014); Mak mong (หมากโมง) (Nong Khai, from the specimen K. Bunchuai 1829); Mak mong (หม ั กหมง) (Phitsanulok, from the specimen A. F. G. Kerr 5841). Uses. Garcinia cowa var. cowa is cultivated for its young leaves, which have a naturally sour taste. These leaves are used in a variety of boiled dishes, such as red curry with pork and cha muang leaves, as well as chicken, pork rib, braised pork leg, or beef soups. Young leaves can also be eaten fresh as a vegetable. The fleshy pulp surrounding the seeds of the ripe fruits is edible and has a sweet-and-sour taste (from the author’s observations). Lectotypifications. Oxycarpus cochinchinensis Lour. was originally named by de Loureiro (1790) and later transferred to the genus Garcinia by Choisy (1823). In doing so, Choisy cited the type locality as Cochinchina and noted that the species grows in both cultivated and uncultivated conditions (“ Habitat: tam cultus, quam incultus in Cochinchinâ ”). However, he did not indicate a type, nor did he provide a collector number or specify the herbarium where the material was deposited. We have located two sheets of the specimen J. de Loureiro without a number (s. n.) from Vietnam (southern Cochinchina), currently housed at BM [BM 000611621, BM 000611622]. According to Article 9.6 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) (Turland et al. 2018), these specimens constitute syntypes. Of these, specimen BM 000611621 is better preserved and more complete than the other and is therefore designated here as the lectotype, with BM 000611622 designated as an isolectotype, following Arts. 9.3 and 9.12 of the ICN (Turland et al. 2018). Garcinia nigrolineata was described by Anderson (1874), who cited three gatherings collected from Malacca: Griffith (Kew Distrib. 854) and Maingay (Kew Distrib. 152 and 162). However, Anderson di