Description: A medium-sized forest tree, not quite (or just barely) reaching the canopy, with a straight trunk and branches that arise regularly, straight and horizontal out of the trunk, opposite to one another. Leaves are opposite, oval, long, and have barely visible secondary veins that are straight and parallel. Breaking off a leaf produces a bit of whitish or cream-colored latex, as does cutting the bark. At the end of a branch, between the final leaf pair, is a crack which spreads when the two leaves are pulled apart (this is a good character of the genus Garcinia everywhere in the world).

Reproduction: Flowers are white, produced in leaf axils all along the branches, from January to April, but are not conspicuous. Fruits are green and ovoid, become yellow with maturity, have two sections, both with a seed covered in a white aril; animal-dispersed.

Distribution: Very common in the understory on BCI, as a sapling and tree; scarce in other forests from Gamboa to Santa Rita.

Similar Species: The opposite, oval, rather long and narrow leaves, with faint parallel secondary veins, can be learned at a glance after seeing them often enough at BCI; check for the small crack between the terminal leaf paper while learning, or break off the leaf to look for the droplets of latex. The other LK gar2ma Garcinia, LK2 G. madruno is very similar in all these traits, but with yellowish latex. LK sympgl Symphonia globulifera LK2 is also similar, but has smaller, narrower leaves and yellow latex. See also LK Aspidosperma cruenta, LK2 whose leaves look like Garcinia's but are alternate, not opposite, and the exotic LK Garcinia mangostana. LK2

Uses: The fruit's aril is edible and eaten locally; the wood of small trunks is sometimes used for making handles of tools.