Sapindaceae

Nephelium L.

First published in Mant. Pl.: 18 (1767)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & Subtropical Asia.

Descriptions

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A genus of 22 species, distributed from Indo-China to western Malesia. The genus is not native to New Guinea, but Nephelium lappaceum L. (rambutan) is widely cultivated as a fruit tree and cash crop.
Morphology General Habit
Trees to 30 m tall
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum of solitary, simple hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paripinnate, leaflets alternate, rarely opposite, 1–6 pairs, rarely unifoliolate, base subequal (in New Guinea) margin entire, glaucous and papillate below, domatia present, venation open
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, rarely terminal or pseudo-terminal, thyrsoid, often unbranched. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic; sepals 5, free or fused, lobes equal, hairy; petals often absent (in New Guinea), reduced if present, usually 4, clawed, much shorter than sepals; stamens 4–10, filaments and anthers hairy; ovary usually 2-locular, densely hairy, 1 ovule per locule, partially enclosed by a placental outgrowth, stigmatic branches long, spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit indehiscent to tardily dehiscent, a single lobe developing, exocarp covered with curved appendages up to 2 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed completely covered by aril.
Recognition
The genus can be recognised by the leaflets which are glaucous below and with domatia on the underside, the petals reduced or absent, the indehiscent fruit covered with broad-based, curved appendages and the seed completely covered by an aril. Mature fruit is necessary for species identification.
[TONG]

Uses

Use
Nephelium is usually cultivated in lowland areas in New Guinea.
[TONG]

Common Names

unknown
Chinese litchi, buah mata kuchin, mata Kuching, mora

Sources

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0