Nephelium lappaceum
Family: Sapindaceae
Rambutan taxonomic name: Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae The name also refers to the edible fruit produced by this tree. The rambutan is native to Southeast Asia. It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits, including the lychee, longan, pulasan , and quenepa.
It is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 15–24 metres (49–79 ft). The leaves are alternate, 14–30 cm long, pinnate, with three to 11 leaflets, each leaflet 5–15 cm wide and 3–10 cm broad, with an entire margin.
Rambutan trees can be male (producing only staminate flowers and, hence, produce no fruit), female (producing flowers that are only functionally female), or hermaphroditic (producing flowers that are female with a small percentage of male flowers).
The fruit is a round to oval single-seeded drupe, 3–6 cm (rarely to 8 cm) long and 3–4 cm broad, borne in a loose pendant cluster of 10–20 together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or yellow) and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name, which means 'hairs'. The spines (also known as "spinterns") contribute to the transpiration of the fruit, which can affect the fruit's quality.
The fruit flesh, the aril, is translucent, whitish, or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor reminiscent of grapes.
