Litchi chinensis Sonn.
Vernacular name: Lichi
Species Name: Litchi chinensis Sonn.
Family: Sapindaceae
Habit: Evergreen tree
Stem: Tall and broad, greyish black bark, brownish red branches.
Leaf: Pinnately compound, petiolate leaflets, 2-4 pairs of leaflets.
Flowering: March-October
Flowers: Terminal panicle inflorescence, bisexual flowers, White or yellow flowers, glabrous, 2-3 celled ovary, rust-coloured hairy, loves curved
Fruit: Fleshy aril, lobed, globose, dry pericarp, covered in green coloured dry skin that turns reddish on maturity, sweet, aril is edible.
Uses:
- It is cultivated for its delicious fruit.
- Different type of dessert dishes are known to be prepared from the juicy fruit.
- Traditionally, many parts of tree are used to treat coughs and gastrointestinal issues.
- Seed and fruit extracts are used in cosmetic industry due to hydrating and anti-aging properties.
