Bitter Kola

Garcinia kola, known as bitter kola, is a species of flowering plant in the mangosteen genus, Garcinia, of the family Clusiaceae. The name bitter kola is sometimes also used for Garcinia afzelii. The tree is found in Benin, Cameroon, the Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone, in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is not related to Cola acuminata, the source of the true kola nut, which belongs to the mallow family. The fruit, seeds, called bitter kola nuts, and bark have been used for centuries in folk medicine for ailments from coughs to fever, and African folk healers believe it has purgative, antiparasitic and antimicrobial properties. The seeds are used for liver disorders, bronchitis, throat infections, colic and colds, and the wood is used as a chewing stick. The trade remains important to communities in Nigeria. Cultivation is limited because the seeds are hard to germinate.