What is a golden plum?

(Li Bingtao)

Scientific name: gamboge. Garcinia, Garcinia (about 450 species in this genus, distributed in tropical areas of the Old World. China 2 1 species). Evergreen tree, 30 meters high, 80 cm in diameter at breast height, with light yellow resin liquid, the whole plant is hairless. Simple leaf, opposite, ovoid or oblong, 7 ~18cm long, 2.5 ~ 6cm wide, entire; 5 ~ 7 pairs of lateral veins; Petiole length1.5cm; Stipules are ovoid-triangular, early flowering is unisexual, male flowers form cymes, peduncle is very short, sepals and petals are 4, oval, stamens are numerous, forming a ring, and there is a degenerated pistil in the middle; Female flowers are solitary leaf axils. The fruit is oblong, 5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter. When mature, it is red, yellow and smooth. It blooms and bears fruit twice a year, the first time in May-June, and the fruit ripens in10 ~165438+10. It blooms for the second time in autumn and matures in March-April of the following year. China, southwestern Guangxi, southwestern and northwestern Guangxi, and southeastern Yunnan. It is also distributed in Vietnam. Born in limestone mountain areas with an altitude of 200 ~ 600 (900) meters. In Guangxi, it is often mixed with alder, butternut, flowering tree, Lagerstroemia caudata, Hyacinthus and Cladosporium. Tolerance to shade and drought. Poor natural regeneration and weak germination potential. In the early stage, the growth was slow, and it grew rapidly in 30 ~ 40 years, reaching its peak in 70 ~ 80 years. Seed propagation. Seeds that have been dormant for more than 8 months and have not been treated by accelerating germination will germinate only 4 months after sowing, and the germination is irregular; After accelerated germination in greenhouse sand bed, it began to germinate one month after sowing, and the germination rate reached 80 ~ 90%. The wood grain is dense, thick, corrosion-resistant, moisture-proof and wear-resistant. It is an excellent material for buildings, bridges, axles, furniture, tool handles, sculptures, wooden balls, golf clubs, handicrafts and so on. Fruit is edible. With thick green branches and straight trunk, it is an excellent tree species in limestone mountain area and can also be used as a street tree. It is a national second-class key protected plant.