Statue of Unity – Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Rain Forest Ektanagar

Dimocarpus longan

Syn. Euphoria longan

IUCN Red List Data Deficient (DD)

Local name

  • Dragon’s Eyes (English)
  • Omb (Marathi)
  • Pempunna (Malayalam)

Tree type

Evergreen Deciduous
Family: Sapindaceae
15m

Indicated uses

Medicinal Edible Ornamental Avenue Other

Flowering & fruiting

Flowering Fruiting

Key characters

Dimocarpus longan bark

Bark

With a dense, symmetrical crown and rough bark. It is cultivated or naturalised in India.

Dimocarpus longan leaves

Leaves

Alternate, compound leaves are up to 30 cm in length, with 6-9 pairs of leaflets.

Dimocarpus longan flower

Flower

Small, whitish, borne in axillary or terminal panicles; flowers may be male, female or bisexual.

Dimocarpus longan fruit / seeds

Fruit / Seeds

Fruits round, 1–2.5 cm wide, with rough, light-brown peels enclosing translucent, whitish pulp and a smooth, black seed.

Dimocarpus longan

Did you know?

The name Longan derives from Chinese lùhng-ngáahn, meaning “Dragon’s Eye,” describing its translucent pulp surrounding a shiny black seed. Its seeds contain saponins, natural foaming compounds, and have traditionally been processed in China and Southeast Asia as soap and hair cleansers.

Distribution

World map showing distribution

Indian Subcontinent to S. China, NW. Peninsula Malaysia, Taiwan, Florida, New Guinea