Lungan – Longan

Dimocarpus longan (Wikipedia)

Longan
Photograph of a broadly spreading tree
A branch bearing many light brown fruits
Longan fruit
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Dimocarpus
Species:
D. longan
Binomial name
Dimocarpus longan
Synonyms
  • Dimocarpus undulatus Wight
  • Euphoria cinerea (Turcz.) Radlk.
  • Dimocarpus leichhardtiiS.T. Reynolds
  • Euphoria glabra Blume
  • Euphoria gracilis Radlk.
  • Euphoria leichhardtii Benth.
  • Euphoria longan (Lour.) Steud.
  • Euphoria longana Lam.
  • Euphoria malaiensis (Griff.) Radlk.
  • Euphoria microcarpa Radlk.
  • Euphoria nephelioides Radlk.
  • Euphoria verruculosa Salisb.
  • Nephelium longan (Lour.) Hook.
  • Nephelium longana Cambess.
Longan
Longan (Chinese characters).svg
"Longan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese龍眼
Simplified Chinese龙眼
Literal meaning"dragon eye"

Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as the longan (/ˈlɒŋɡən/), is a tropical tree species that produces edible fruit. It is one of the better-known tropical members of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), to which the lychee, rambutan, guarana, korlan, pitomba, genip and ackee also belong. The fruit of the longan are similar to that of the lychee, but less aromatic in taste. It is native to Southern Asia.

The longan (from Cantonese lùhng-ngáahn 龍眼, literally "dragon eye"), is so named because it resembles an eyeball when its fruit is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard, and of an enamel-like, lacquered black. The fully ripened, freshly harvested fruit has a bark-like shell, thin, and firm, making the fruit easy to peel by squeezing the pulp out as if one were "cracking" a sunflower seed. When the shell has more moisture content and is more tender, the fruit becomes less convenient to shell. The tenderness of the shell varies due to either premature harvest, variety, weather conditions, or transport/storage conditions.

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