Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola)

Description

Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola) is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae or Guttiferae family. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland/ rain forests this is the major reasons why the trees grow widely in the West Africa rain forest. It is commonly found in countries like Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. 

Garcinia Kola or Bitter Kola is a tree that commonly grows in the rain forests of West Africa its seeds are found in the pod or fruit of the tree. The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the plant have been used for centuries in both traditional and modern medicine to treat ailments from coughs, fever and some other serious health related cases. It is also useful in many other areas due to its unending benefits. 
According to a report from the Center For International Forestry Research, Garcinia Kola trade is still important to many tribes and villages in Nigeria as well as other parts of the world due to its usefulness. These seeds after extraction from the pods are post fermented and dried to acceptable specification or standard for export.