Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the Advice on Publications Available . The longan is closely related to the lychee and is similar in growth and fruiting habit. The tree is tougher and less demanding, with respect to climate and soil conditions, than the lychee and it fruits in cooler and drier areas. However, the exact environmental conditions required for high yields are not well defined.
Tree shape depends on the cultivar and varies from erect to spreading.
They are borne on new growth produced during mid-summer or autumn. The flowers are small, inconspicuous and yellow brown. The fruit are similar to those of lychee in structure, but are smaller, smoother and yellow-tan in colour. The word 'longan' comes from the Chinese and literally means 'dragon-eye' which is an apt description of the fruit after the skin has been removed. The fleshy aril is white to off-white or pinkish in colour and surrounds a red brown, brown to black seed which separates easily from the flesh.