Garcinia binucao is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.
Taxonomy
Binukaw belongs to the
genus Garcinia (the mangosteens) of the family
Clusiaceae. The first description of the
correct name of the species is attributed to the French botanist Jacques Denys Choisy in
Description des guttifères de l'Inde (1849) based on the
basionym Cambogia binucao from the Spanish friar and botanist Francisco Manuel Blanco in
Flora de Filipinas in 1837.
The plant is known as binukaw (also spelled binucao, binukau, or bilukaw) in Tagalog language, and batuan in Visayan languages. Other names include Ilocano language balakut, Bikol language buragris, and Panay Visayan haras.
Description
Binukaw is an evergreen tree growing to a maximum height of around with a trunk around in diameter. The leaves are oblong to obovate around long and wide. The flowers are reddish to creamy white in color. The fruits are round berry, around in diameter with a juicy pulp and numerous seeds.
Distribution
Binukaw is endemic to the Philippines,
Culinary
The sour fruits are edible and can be eaten raw. They are also commonly used as a souring agent in traditional Filipino dishes like sinigang, Kadyos, baboy, kag langka, and cansi.
'Takway' is called "pansit ng bukid" since it grows almost anywhere in the fields. In Iloilo, it is called "palutpot" or "runners" of root crops or taro. As culinary ingredient, it combines with coconut milk, like alimango. In Davao City, paksiw na takway is blended with mora moro or mackerel scad (galunggong).
Conservation
The species is becoming rare due to illegal logging and deforestation for agriculture.
See also
