Dlium

Rambutan ( Nephelium lappaceum ) is a tree species in the Sapindaceae family that grows to a height of 15–24 meters. It features alternate, compound leaves measuring 7–30 cm in length, consisting of one to four pairs of leaflets that are 15–20 cm wide and 2.5–10 cm long. The flowers are small (2.5–5 mm), lack petals, are disc-shaped, and grow in upright terminal panicles measuring 15–30 cm across. Male trees produce only male flowers and do not bear fruit, while female trees produce flowers that function solely as female flowers. The fruit is a round-to-oval drupe containing a single seed (3–6 cm in size); the fruits grow in loose, hanging clusters of 10–20. The skin of the ripe fruit is reddish and covered with soft spines. These spines allow the fruit to release moisture into the surrounding environment. More than 200 cultivars have been developed from selected clones across tropical Asia. Wild-harvested rambutans tend to have higher acidity levels. In Indonesia, at least 22 cultiva...