Lychee (Lichee) - Litchi chinensis (Nephelium litchi); litchi

Japanese: レイシ(茘枝) - レイシ（英語表記）Litchi chinensis(Nephelium litchi); litchi

An evergreen tall tree of the Sapindaceae family, also known as lychee. Native to southern China. The trunk is 5-10m tall, with gray, bumpy bark. The leaves are large, even-pinnate compound leaves, with alternate, leathery, and pointed leaflets. The branches droop slightly, the leaves grow lush, and the tree has a spherical shape. From February to April, the panicles form at the top, and numerous small flowers appear. Male, female, and perfect flowers are mixed. The flowers are pale yellow, with 4-5 calyxes and degenerate petals. The fruit ripens to a globular shape from May to July. The skin is thin, leathery, rough, and reddish. The arils around the seeds inside are white and translucent, with a good balance of sweetness and sourness, and a unique fragrance. It is considered the queen of fruits along with the mangosteen. A plant in the same family and genus as this species is the longan Euphoria longana ( Nephelium longana ), also native to China, which produces slightly smaller fruits than lychees. Like lychees, the seeds have thick arils that are juicy and sweet, and are eaten raw or as dried fruits.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ムクロジ科の常緑高木で，ライチーともいう。中国南部の原産。幹は高さ5～10m，樹皮は灰色で，でこぼこしている。葉は大きな偶数羽状複葉で，小葉は互生し革質で先はとがる。枝はやや下垂し，葉はよく茂り，全体は球状の樹形となる。2～4月に，円錐花序を頂生し，おびただしい数の小花をつける。雄花，雌花，完全花が混在する。花は淡黄色，萼は4～5枚で，花弁は退化している。果実は5～7月に熟して球形になる。果皮は薄く，革質，ざらついて紅色を帯びる。中にある種子のまわりの仮種皮は白色半透明で甘みと酸味がよく調和し，独特の香気がある。マンゴスチンとともに果物の女王とされている。本種と同科別属の植物にリュウガン Euphoria longana(Nephelium longana)があり，やはり中国の原産で，レイシよりやや小型の果実をつける。レイシと同様に種子の仮種皮が肥厚し多汁で甘く，生食するほか乾燥果実としても賞味されている。

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