Although locals call it “Zaar Ambo” it is not a mango, but belongs to the Garcinia family whose most commonly known tree is Garcinia Indica, known in local parlance and in India as “cocum.”
Zaar Ambo does not have a stone like a mango and though its flesh is pulpy and sour to taste.
The lone tree standing majestically along the Navelim-Sinquetim road, where the Western Bypass is currently being constructed is the only surviving tree and is probably called “Zaar Ambo” because in English it is called false mangosteen or golden mango.
The fruit also does not look like a mango and is in the shape of a heart. Unlike a mango that has only one stone the fruit has two seeds inside.
When ripe, Zaar Ambo becomes golden in colour, which is why it is also called golden mango. Locals called it “zaar” as it is of no use to nobody and not even the cows or pigs will eat it and eventually the fruits fall from the tree and rot on the ground.
To add to another surprising twist to this fruit ‘mystery fruit,’ the seeds do not even germinate. Perhaps that could be the reason why this strange fruit has become the topic of a study, which has been undertaken by the botany students of Government College at Quepem.
What’s more, the strangeness does not end there; locals claim that for the past 40 years the tree has not grown in height nor has its branches spread wider.
“It looks the same as it was 40 years back,” quips a local in amazement.
In fact, between Modi and Jacknibandh in Navelim, there were quite a few such trees a few years ago, but they no longer exist. The trees grew in such abundance her that the place used to be called Zaarambo Wado.
However, not much has been known about this fruit and even the Agriculture Department is short of words in identifying and describing it. In fact, Zonal Agriculture Officer Margao Anil de Noronha could not even get others in the department to identify it. “We have not been able to identify the plant or the fruit,” he said.
But Celly Quadros Coutinho, the Navelim Biodiversity Committee chairperson, who teaches botany at Quepem College has identified it and says to be belonging to the Garcinia family.
At the gram sabha held on January 28, villagers have resolved to protect the tree and will ask the government not to cut it for constructing the Western Bypass.
