Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Dimocarpus longan Lour.


Weed
Tree
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
10th leaf stage. © CSIRO
Cotyledon stage, hypogeal germination. © CSIRO
Family

Loureiro, J. (1790) Flora Cochinchinensis : 233. Type: Neotype: Lioa & Kuo 1598, Taiwan, Tafu, Miaoli, 12 - 7 - 1965 (L; iso : TAI).

Common name

Longan

Stem

Usually a small tree.

Leaves

Leaflet blades about 4.5-12 x 1.6-3 cm, unequal-sided, particularly towards the base, lateral veins curving but not forming definite loops inside the blade margin, midrib +/- flush with the upper surface. Small streaky oil dots just visible with a lens. Lenticels aggregated into lines on the twigs.

Flowers

Calyx about 4 mm long. Petals about 3 mm long. Staminal filaments clothed in erect hairs. Ovary stellate hairy, +/- glandular.

Fruit

Fruit about 15-25 mm diam., surface +/- textured but not conspicuously raised or warted. Aril firm, resembling litchi (Litchi chinensis) in taste, enclosing the seed. Seeds almost black.

Seedlings

First pair of leaves compound with 2-4 leaflets. At the tenth leaf stage: leaflet blades somewhat unequal-sided and attenuate at the base, apex acuminate. Midrib raised on the upper surface; lateral veins curving just inside the blade margin but not forming definite loops. Seed germination time 10 days.

Distribution and Ecology

An introduced species originally from China, widely cultivated in Australia and now naturalised in NEQ. Altitudinal range from sea level to 750 m. Grows on farmland and in rain forest regrowth.

RFK Code
855
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