Lychee

The Lychee (or Litchi / Laichi) fruit is a drupe (stone-fruit), 3–4 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C, with a texture somewhat similar to that of a grape. The edible flesh consists of a highly developed aril enveloping the seed. The center contains a single glossy brown nut-like seed, 2 cm long and 1–1.5 cm in diameter. The seed is slightly poisonous and should not be eaten.

The fruit matures from July to October, about 100 days after flowering. The Litchi is a tropical fruit tree native to southern China. It is also found south to Vietnam, Indonesia and east to the Philippines.