Family: Clusiaceae
Garcinia livingstonei (African mangosteen, imbe) is a small evergreen tree native to tropical Africa. It is a traditional food plant in Africa. The fruits can be eaten raw, or can be cooked with a porridge or other cereal products. Fermented beverages can also be prepared with the fruit. Imbe is dioecious (male and female flower occur on separate plants) but both sexes flower prolifically, which attracts many pollinators, and produces abundant amounts of fruit. This plant is surprisingly drought tolerant and may be used to combat early stages of desertification. This plant has not been documented as naturalized in any Hawaiian Islands to date.
High Risk Traits:
- Broad elevation range in regions with tropical climates
- Thrives and could spread in regions with tropical climates
- Possibly naturalized in Australia (but no evidence in the Hawaiian Islands to date)
- Tolerates many soil types
- Reproduces by seeds
- Possibly able to produce seeds via apomixis
- Seeds dispersed by fruit eating birds and mammals, and through intentional cultivation
- Distribution along rivers suggests water may also disperse seeds
- Tolerates cutting and fires
Low Risk Traits:
- No reports of invasiveness or negative impacts where cultivated
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Edible fruit
- Palatable foliage
- Reported to grow in high light environments (dense shade may inhibit spread)
- Reaches maturity in 4-6 years or longer
- Not reported to spread vegetatively
- Fruit and seeds relatively large and unlikely to be accidentally dispersed
- Seeds lose viability quickly (unlikely to form persistent seed bank)
