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Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

Dlium Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

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 cultivars are recognized for their high quality, with five standing out as superior commercial varieties: 'Binjai', 'Lebak Bulus', 'Rapiah', 'Cimacan', and 'Sinyonya'; other popular cultivars include 'Simacan', 'Silengkeng', 'Sikonto', and 'Aceh Kuning'.

Rambutan fruit consists of 78% water, 21% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and a small amount of fat. In a 100-gram serving, canned fruit provides 82 calories and supplies 15% of the Daily Value (DV) for manganese, while levels of other micronutrients are low (less than 10% of the DV). Rambutan fruit does not contain significant levels of polyphenols; however, its colorful skin displays a variety of phenolic acids, including syringic, coumaric, gallic, caffeic, and ellagic acids. The seeds contain roughly equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with arachidic acid (34%) and oleic acid (42%) constituting the highest fat content. The fruit's fragrant aroma derives from a number of volatile organic compounds, such as beta-damascenone, vanillin, phenylacetic acid, and cinnamic acid.

Rambutan is cultivated commercially in equatorial regions. The trees grow at elevations ranging from 0 to 500 meters and thrive in deep, sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. They grow best in well-drained, hilly areas.

Trees can be grown from seed, but since two-thirds of the resulting trees are male and most female trees are unproductive, vegetative propagation—specifically grafting onto rootstocks—is essential for commercial production. Air layering and traditional grafting methods, such as cleft grafting, have proven unsatisfactory; budding (shield budding) yields far better results.

In some regions, rambutan trees bear fruit twice a year. An average tree produces 5,000–6,000 fruits, or 60–70 kg. Yields range from 1.2 tonnes per hectare in young orchards to 20 tonnes per hectare in mature orchards.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Nephelium L. in Mant. Pl.: 18 (1767)
Species: Nephelium lappaceum L. in Mant. Pl.: 125 (1767)
Variety: Nephelium lappaceum var. lappaceum, Nephelium lappaceum var. pallens (Hiern) Leenh., Nephelium lappaceum var. xanthioides (Radlk.) Leenh.

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Scytalia ramboutan Roxb. in A.Beatson, Tracts St. Helena: 322 (1816)

PUBLICATIONS

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K., Rodríguez Delcid, D. & Olmedo Galán, P. (2016). Nova Silva Cuscatlantica. Parte 3: Angiospermae - Familias R a Z y Gymnospermae. Englera 29(3): 1-356.

Dassanayake (ed.) (1998). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 12: 1-390. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera, C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2015). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. Volumen VIII. Dicotyledóneas (Sabiaceae-Zygophyllaceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 131: 1-657. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kiew, R., Chung, R.C.K., Shaw, L.G. & Soepadmo, E. (eds.) (2017). Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Series II: Seed Plants, volume 6. Malayan Forest Records 49: 1-231.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania 30: 1-307.

Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée. Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Nielsen, I.C. & al. (1992-1994). Flora Malesiana 11: 1-768. Noordhoff-Kolff N.V., Djakarta.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Turner, I.M. (1995 publ. 1997). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(2): 347-655.

Tâm, H.M. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 12: 1-356. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.

Wu, Z., Raven, P.H. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2007). Flora of China 12: 1-534. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: رامبوتان
Chinese (simplified): 红毛丹
Chinese (traditional): 紅毛丹
Danish: Rambutan
English: Rambutan
Filipino: Rambutan
Finnish: Rambutaani
French: Ramboutan, Litchi chevelu
Hong Kong: 紅毛丹
Indonesian: Rambutan
Japanese: ランブータン
Java: Rambutan
Kannada: Rambutan mara
Khmer: Saaw maaw, Ser mon
Macao: 紅毛丹
Malayalam: Rambutan
Malaysia: Rambutan, Buah abong, Rangalau
Palauan: Rambotang
Polish: Jagodzian rambutan, Rambutan
Portuguese: Rambutã, Rambutan, Rambutão, Rambotão
Russian: Рамбутан
Sinhala: රඹුටන්
Slovak: Obličkovník ovocný
Spanish: Rambután, Mamón Chino
Sumatera: Kakapas
Sunda: Chorogol
Taiwan: 紅毛丹
Thai: เงาะ

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
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