![]() ![]() The lychee attracted the attention of European travelers, such as the Spanish bishop, explorer, and sinologist Juan González de Mendoza in his History of the great and mighty kingdom of China (1585 English translation 1588), based on the reports of Spanish friars who had visited China in the 1570s gave the fruit high praise: The emperor had the fruit delivered at great expense to the capital. It was also the favorite fruit of Emperor Li Longji (Xuanzong)'s favored concubine Yang Yuhuan (Yang Guifei). There was great demand for lychee in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), according to Cai Xiang, in his Li chi pu (Treatise on Lychees). In the 1st century during the Han dynasty, fresh lychees were a popular tribute item, and in such demand at the Imperial Court that a special courier service with fast horses would bring the fresh fruit from Guangdong. The fruit was used as a delicacy in the Chinese Imperial Court. Wild trees still grow in parts of southern China and on Hainan Island. Unofficial records in China refer to lychee as far back as 2000 BC. "Lici Fruit Tree" in Michal Boym's Flora Sinensis (1657)Ĭultivation of lychee began in the region of southern China, going back to 1059 AD, Malaysia, and northern Vietnam. ![]() Since the floral flavor is lost in the process of canning, the fruit is usually eaten fresh. These fruits typically have a higher price, due to having more edible flesh. Some cultivars produce a high percentage of fruits with shriveled aborted seeds known as 'chicken tongues'. The fleshy, edible portion of the fruit is an aril, surrounding one dark brown inedible seed that is 1 to 3.3 cm long and 0.6 to 1.2 cm wide (0.39–1.30 by 0.24–0.47 in). The skin turns brown and dry when left out after harvesting. The rind is inedible but easily removed to expose a layer of translucent white fleshy aril with a floral smell and a sweet flavor. The thin, tough skin is green when immature, ripening to red or pink-red, and is smooth or covered with small sharp protuberances roughly textured. Fruits vary in shape from round to ovoid to heart-shaped, up to 5 cm long and 4 cm wide (2.0 in × 1.6 in), weighing approximately 20 g. The lychee bears fleshy fruits that mature in 80–112 days depending on climate, location, and cultivar. It has thick twigs, flowers with seven to eleven stamens in sessile clusters, smooth fruit with protuberances up to 1 mm (0.039 in). It is only known in cultivation, in Malaysia and Indonesia. It has thin twigs, six to seven stamens, long oval fruit with spiky protuberances up to 3 mm (0.12 in). ![]() It is common in the wild in the Philippines and rarely cultivated. It has thin twigs, flowers typically have six stamens, fruit are smooth or with protuberances up to 2 mm (0.079 in). It grows wild in southern China, northern Vietnam, and Cambodia. chinensis is the only commercialized lychee. There are three subspecies, determined by flower arrangement, twig thickness, fruit, and a number of stamens. It was described and named by French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat in his account " Voyage aux Indes Orientales et à la Chine, fait depuis 1774 jusqu'à 1781" (translation: "Voyage to the East Indies and China, made between 17"), which was published in 1782. Litchi chinensis is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. Pierre Sonnerat's drawing from Voyage aux Indes Orientales et à la Chine (1782) Lychee seeds contain methylene cyclopropyl glycine which has caused hypoglycemia associated with outbreaks of encephalopathy in undernourished Indian and Vietnamese children who consumed lychee fruit. The outside of the fruit is a pink-red, rough-textured soft shell. A tall evergreen tree, it bears small fleshy sweet fruits. China is the main producer of lychees, followed by Vietnam, India, other countries in Southeast Asia, other countries in the Indian subcontinent, Madagascar, and South Africa. Cultivation in China is documented from the 11th century. The tree has been introduced throughout Southeast Asia and South Asia. It is a tropical tree native to South China, Malaysia, and northern Vietnam. Lychee (US: / ˈ l iː ˌ tʃ iː/ LEE-chee UK: / ˈ l aɪ ˌ tʃ iː/ LIE-chee Litchi chinensis Chinese: 荔枝 pinyin: lìzhī Jyutping: lai6 zi1 Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nāi-chi) is a monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. ![]()
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