The purple mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana ), colloquially known simply as mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree believed to have originated in the Sunda lslands and the Moluccas of lndonesia. lt grows mainly in Southeast Asia, and also in tropical South American countries such as Colombia, in the state of Kerala in lndia and in Puerto Rico, where the tree has been introduced. The tree grows from 6 to 25 m (20-82) tall. The fruit of the mangosteen is sweet and tangy, juicy , and somewhat fibrous,with an inedible, deep reddish-purple colored rind ( exocarp) when ripe. ln each fruit, the fragrant edible flesh that surrounds each seed is botanically endocarp, i.e., the inner layer of the ovary.