Description: Jorco has a cylindrical and straight trunk of small girth (20 cm). The brown-black bark is mostly smooth, though some low horizontal striations give it some texture. The upper half of the tree is thickly covered with thin, horizontal branches,
oriented
at right angles to the bole. This profusion of limbs, combined
with an ample covering of dark green foliage, produces a dense,
impenetrable crown - unusual in an understory species - though
its pyramidal shape is typical of many monopodial trees. Leaves
(8 by 3 cm) are simple and oppositely arranged. They are relatively
thick and leathery, with smooth surfaces and entire margins. Elliptical
in shape, the opaque, emerald green blades taper to points at
both ends and include moderately well developed drip tips. The
unique Garcinia petiole (1 cm) is formed from the union
of the lower blade edges that curl around the midrib and are fused
where they meet. As in other members of the Clusiaceae family,
secondary leaf veins are fine and parallel. New leaves, usually
grown just prior to flowering but potentially visible from November
to April, are translucent and white or flesh-colored. Appearing
at the tips of the branches, they stand out in marked contrast
to the deep green hues of the rest of the crown. Flowers
(5 mm) are imperfect, with male and female blossoms appearing
on separate trees (dioecious). Both types of flowers are produced
in compact and dense axillary clusters. Each blossom consists
of five pale, greenish-white petals that are folded back around
the pedestal and either a central, globular cluster of about 20
short stamens (male) or a globular green ovary topped with a brown
stigma (female). Several vestigial staminate appendages are also
present in the female flower. Blossoms are strongly and sweetly
aromatic. Flowers may be seen for a short (three week) period
occurring sometime between November and early January: the exact
timing and 
the degree of synchronization
of the event are quite variable. Fruits mature, changing
color from glossy green to orange, as fleshy (2.5 cm) ovoid berries.
Nestled amid the contrasting foliage, they can be seen dangling
from flexible, short green stems. The fruit conceals a pair of
almond-shaped seeds (2 cm), each bearing a flattened side marking
its point of contact with the other. Harvests begin in late December
and continue, slowly but continuously, through March. Seeds do
not germinate immediately, waiting instead for several months
- often well into the rainy season - before initiating growth.
