Common Garcinia, Fukugi, Happy Tree

Scientific Name : Garcinia subelliptica Merr.
Common Name : Common Garcinia, Fukugi, Happy Tree
Chinese Name : 菲島福木
Family : CLUSIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species

Anecdotes on plants

Origins	Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.
Ecology	The Common Garcinia is a coastal plant, found in woodlands along the coast. Larvae of the moth Heleanna fukugi Nasu, 1999 under the family Tortricidae feed on its leaves. Ryukyu fruit bat (Pteropus dasymallus (Temminck, 1825)) also feed on its fruit.
Applications	The Common Garcinia has a deep and wide tap root system that is resistant to wind and salt. In order to resist attacks from typhoons and sea waves, the plant is used as a windbreak species in the Ryukyu Islands and China. The Common Garcinia has a nearly 300-year history of cultivation in the Ryukyu Islands, where the locals planted them into forest belts and groves guided by the concepts of Feng Shui. The leaves of Common Garcinia are thickly leathery, and do not burn easily, so it is also planted as firebreaks. In addition, its bark can produce yellow dye that can be used to colour fabrics, such as for Okinawan Bingata. In recent years, scientific research has found that the Common Garcinia has certain therapeutic functions, such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The tree crown of this species is conical, with evergreen leaves that contribute to a beautiful growth form. In Hong Kong, it has been widely planted as greenery and street trees in recent years.
Meanings of name	The Japanese name for this plant, "Fukugi", means "tree of happiness", which symbolizes the hope for harmony between man and nature. “Fortune Wood (福木)” is the Chinese translation of "Fukugi". Since Philippines is one of its origin, the species was given the name “Filipino Fortune Wood (菲島福木)” in Chinese.

Traits for identification

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Remarks

Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=8444

Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Garcinia subelliptica Merrill
― Plants of the World Online : Garcinia subelliptica Merr.

Reference

• Abe, F., Nagafuji, S., Okabe, H., Higo, H. & Akahane, H. (2003). Trypanocidal constituents in plants 2. Xanthones from the stem bark of Garcinia subelliptica. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 26, 1730–1733. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.easyaccess2.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/14646180/
• Chen, B. & Nakama, Y. (2011). Distribution of Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica) trees as landscaping trees in traditional villages in Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Pacific Agriculture and Natural Resources, 3, 14–22. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285142999_Distribution_of_Fukugi_Garcinia_subelliptica_trees_as_landscaping_trees_in_traditional_villages_in_Ryukyu_Islands_in_Japan
• Chen, B., Nakama, Y. & Takakazu, U. (2014). Planted forest and diverse cultures in ecological village planning: A case study in Tarama Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Small Scale Forest, 13, 333–347. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://link-springer-com.easyaccess2.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/article/10.1007/s11842-013-9257-z
• Cho, Y. C. & Cho, S. (2016). c-Jun N-terminal kinase-mediated anti-inflammatory effects of Garcinia subelliptica in macrophages. Molecular Medicine Report, 13(3), 2293–2300. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.easyaccess2.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/26781201/
• eFloras. (2008). Garcinia subelliptica Merrill. Flora of China. [Online Edition]. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Retrieved 4^th June 2020, from: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200014186
• Iinuma, M., Tosa, H., Tanaka, T., Kanamaru, S., Asai, F., Kobayashi, Y. et al. (1996). Antibacterial activity of some Garcinia benzophenone derivatives against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 19(2), 311–314. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.easyaccess2.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/8850331/
• Inoue, T., Kainuma, M., Baba, K., Oshiro, N., Kimura, N. & Chan, E. W. C. (2017). Garcinia subelliptica Merr. (Fukugi): A multipurpose coastal tree with promising medicinal properties. Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology, 6(1), 121. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://www.bibliomed.org/mnsfulltext/55/55-1476405747.pdf?1594016132
• Merrill, E. D. (1908). The Philippine Species of Garcinia. The Philippine Journal of Science. The Bureau of Science of the Government of the Philippine Islands. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/673556#page/403/mode/1up
• Nasu, Y. (1999). A new species of Heleanna (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) injurious to Garcinia subelliptica (Guttiferae) in the Ryukyus, Japan. Applied Entomology and Zoology, 34(1), 105–111. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/aez1966/34/1/34_1_105/_article/-char/ja/
• National Parks Board, Government of Singapore. (2020). Garcinia subelliptica. National Parks Flora & Fauna Web. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/2/9/2930
• Vincenot, C. E., Koyama L. & Russo, D. (2015). Near threatened? First report of unsuspected human-driven decline factors in the Ryukyu flying fox (Pteropus dasymallus) in Japan. Mammalian Biology, 80, 273–277. [doi: 10.1016/j.mambio.2015.03.003]. Retrieved 31^st December 2020, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274404975_Near_Threatened_First_Report_of_Unsuspected_Human-Driven_Decline_Factors_in_the_Ryukyu_Flying_Fox_Pteropus_dasymallus_in_Japan
• Wu, C. C., Weng, J. R., Won, S. J. & Lin, C.N. (2005). Constituents of the pericarp of Garcinia subelliptica. Journal of Natural Products, 68(2), 1125–1127. Retrieved 6^th July 2020, from: https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.easyaccess2.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/16038565/
• 中國科學院植物誌編輯委員會。（1959-2004）。〈菲島福木Garcinia subelliptica Merr.〉。《中國植物誌》。[網上版本]。於2020年6月4日擷取自 : http://www.iplant.cn/info/Garcinia%20subelliptica?t=z
• 李先源。（2018）。《觀賞植物分類學》。北京 : 科學出版社。國際標準書號 : 978-7-03-055580-9。
• 深圳市人民政府城市管理辦公室、深圳市仙湖植物園、深圳市城市管理科學研究所。（1998）。《深圳園林植物》。北京 : 中國林業出版社。國際標準書號 : 978-7-5038-2149-3。