Origin of cultivated mangosteen

[TropicalFruitHunters]

In the past, we've discussed possible varieties of mangosteen and what a pain figuring out the common and scientific names of all the others.  Confusing to say the least.  I bring this up due to someone from one of the Facebook groups in Australia recently inquiring as to why it is so difficult to get these names correct or why two garcinias may be called the same name.  I came across this recent publication, and while long and technical, I did find it interesting.  It discusses the origins of mangosteen and the few varieties that may be available.  I got the impression that there was one section that seemed to harbor some doubt on this, but maybe I understood it wrong.  It does open your eyes to the difficulty of identifying the genetics of the most popular garcinia.  Is it any wonder very little effort/expense has gone into the rest?  I thought Mike T at least would be interested in this. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10020034/

[Tropicaltoba]

I really appreciate it when people source scientific literature. Btw I really enjoyed your old posts about your gh. Unfortunately, I found them after I had built mine so I was unable to use your wisdom.

[TropicalFruitHunters]

Wisdom?  Hmmmmm...that would be a stretch!!  Lots of mistakes were made.

[Mike T]

A ripping read and it highlights the complexity of Garcinia. Let me tell you a little tale about a must have Garcinia quite unlike any other. I encountered a tree at Alan Carles place that I initially called G. macrophylla but a giant fruiter. Subsequent G.macrophylla from brazil that I sent a few seeds around has subsequently fruited and is different. It is much smaller with a single seed and has lower flesh yield and is altogether inferior to the glorious whopper I encountered.
Today I re-acquainted myself with that tree.It is a single apparently monoecious  tree. I posted pics around 4 years ago of a 12cm fruit showing 4 sections inside. It is yellowy pink when ripe and has a prominent beak.
Recently I googled de bico to see what this fang dangled new and glamorous Garcinia is all about. To my surprise it looks like a smaller and yellower version of what I was perhaps cavalier in calling a form of G. macrophylla. The sections inside look kinda the same and not the typical seed or seeds in the centre but in the segments. I don't know if anyone can find these pics in the old thread as I can't seem to get the pic stuff happening these days.

[TropicalFruitHunters]

Mike...unless I read and understood the pub incorrectly, due to the complexity of understanding the genetics and that it didn't seem to be consistent, there was one section it discussed where other researchers believed climate/environment may have more to do with the differing plants/fruits rather than being a separate variety?  Or maybe I was skimming to much?  LOL!

[BloomAndSprout]

A ripping read and it highlights the complexity of Garcinia. Let me tell you a little tale about a must have Garcinia quite unlike any other. I encountered a tree at Alan Carles place that I initially called G. macrophylla but a giant fruiter. Subsequent G.macrophylla from brazil that I sent a few seeds around has subsequently fruited and is different. It is much smaller with a single seed and has lower flesh yield and is altogether inferior to the glorious whopper I encountered.
Today I re-acquainted myself with that tree.It is a single apparently monoecious  tree. I posted pics around 4 years ago of a 12cm fruit showing 4 sections inside. It is yellowy pink when ripe and has a prominent beak.
Recently I googled de bico to see what this fang dangled new and glamorous Garcinia is all about. To my surprise it looks like a smaller and yellower version of what I was perhaps cavalier in calling a form of G. macrophylla. The sections inside look kinda the same and not the typical seed or seeds in the centre but in the segments. I don't know if anyone can find these pics in the old thread as I can't seem to get the pic stuff happening these days.

Happy to know I'm growing some de Bico seedlings 

[Mike T]

It is interesting for its failures as much as anything else. When we put it through the fine mesh the paper dwells too much on speculative history for nought. It doesn't adequately explain the lack of true seeds or males in mangosteens or the variation that can be seen in one grove. The standard mangosteen, mesta and the big pointed Borneo ones that are almost seedless can grow together.  I thought the single species origin they contended was not well enough supported and the splitting into the 3 suggested variants they still called mangosteen was not well supported either. I thought the genetics was confusing the way they dished it up and it wasn't written in a coherent way leaving the reader with a wtf vibe. Maybe they are right with some of it.