Indian gamboge (Garcinia morella)

Garcinia morella is the Indian source of gamboge, the brilliant yellow gum-resin painters and dyers have used for centuries. It grows wild in the wet forests of the Western Ghats, the north-east and Sri Lanka. The resin is a powerful purgative and toxic in quantity, so it belongs in a paint box, not a kitchen.

Botanical name: Garcinia morella (Gaertn.) Desr.
Family: Clusiaceae
Tamil: Makki
Hindi: Tamal
Parts used: Latex (historical dye; not a first kitchen)
Habit: Yellow latex Garcinia; kodampuli is G. gummi-gutta
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Indian gamboge

It is a medium-sized evergreen tree with opposite, glossy, leathery leaves and a neat conical crown, like most garcinias.

Cut bark or unripe fruit oozes a thick, bright yellow latex that dries into the hard gum-resin sold as gamboge. That colour is the defining feature.

Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. The fruit is small, round and greenish-yellow, with a few seeds.

Kodampuli, Garcinia gummi-gutta, is the ribbed fruit dried black as a souring agent in Kerala cooking, and kokum, Garcinia indica, is the purple coastal fruit. Both are food plants; this one is a resin tree.

Traditional use of Indian gamboge

Pigment and dye

Gamboge was used as a watercolour pigment and a textile dye, and to colour varnishes. Much of the gamboge in Western art came from Garcinia hanburyi in Southeast Asia, but Indian gamboge came from this species.

Pigment history

Historical medicine

Gamboge was once a standard drastic purgative in both Indian and European pharmacies, and it fell out of use because it was too harsh.

Historical pharmacopoeias

Modern notes on Indian gamboge

The resin contains caged xanthones such as gambogic acid, which are widely studied in laboratories. Those studies concern isolated compounds and do not make the raw resin safe.

As a pigment it has largely been replaced by synthetic yellows, which are more lightfast and non-toxic.

Indian gamboge safety

Do not swallow gamboge. Small amounts cause violent purging, and larger amounts can be dangerous.

Ecology and sourcing

It is a tree of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest. Bark tapping, if overdone, damages trees that are already patchily distributed.

In the Western Ghats it shares forests with several other wild garcinias that are important food sources for hornbills and primates.

Related plants

Also in Clusiaceae

Questions about Indian gamboge

Is Indian gamboge kodampuli?

No. Kodampuli is Garcinia gummi-gutta, a cooking sour.

Is gamboge edible?

No. It is a strong purgative and toxic in quantity.

Where else does gamboge come from?

Garcinia hanburyi in Southeast Asia, which supplied much of the European trade.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.