Garcinia binucao

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.{{cite book |last1=Mansfeld |first1=Rudolf |title=Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops Volume 1 |date=2001 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9783540410171 |page=1356 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=10IMFSavIMsC&pg=PA1356}}

The plant is known as binukaw (also spelled binucao, binukau, or bilukaw) in Tagalog, and batuan in Visayan languages. Other names include Ilocano balakut, Bikol buragris, and Panay Visayan haras.{{cite web |title=Garcinia binucao (PROSEA) |url=https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Garcinia_binucao_(PROSEA) |website=Pl@ntUse |access-date=April 17, 2019}} The common names are sometimes shared with other similar Garcinia species in the Philippines like Garcinia morella.

Binukaw is an evergreen tree growing to a maximum height of around {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} with a trunk around {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter. The leaves are oblong to obovate around {{convert|5|to|12|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|4|to|7|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide. The flowers are reddish to creamy white in color. The fruits are round berries, around {{convert|4|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter with a juicy pulp and numerous seeds.

Binukaw is endemic to the Philippines.{{cite web |title=Garcinia binucao (Blanco) Choisy |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:427834-1 |website=KewScience: Plants of the World Online |publisher=KewScience |access-date=March 31, 2021}}

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.{{cite web |title=The Souring Agents of Sinigang |url=http://pinoytrees.blogspot.com/2009/09/souring-agents-of-sinigang.html |website=Our Philippine Trees |date=September 25, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2019}}

'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 ginataang alimango. In Davao City, paksiw na takway is blended with mora moro or mackerel scad (galunggong).{{cite news |last1=Santos |first1= Jamil|title='Takway' na tinatawag din na 'pansit ng bukid,' masarap at maganda sa kalusugan|url= https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/talakayan/920422/takway-na-tinatawag-din-na-pansit-ng-bukid-masarap-at-maganda-sa-kalusugan/story/|accessdate=September 16, 2024 |work= GMA Network|date=September 14, 2024}}

The species is becoming rare due to illegal logging and deforestation for agriculture.{{cite web |title=Garcinia binucao |url=http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Garcinia+binucao|first1=Ken |last1=Fern|website=Tropical Plants Database |access-date=April 17, 2019}}

• Garcinia atroviridis, a related species used similarly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand
• Garcinia dulcis
• Garcinia gummi-gutta
• Garcinia morella

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binucao

Category:Taxa named by Francisco Manuel Blanco

Category:Taxa named by Jacques Denys Choisy

Category:Endemic flora of the Philippines