The scientific name is Dimocarpus longgana Lour.

Also known as Longan, Puzzle, and Shikia

The family belongs to the genus Dimocarpus of the family Sapindaceae

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Longan, also known as longan, is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It is good for the heart and spleen and replenishes qi and blood. It has good nourishing and replenishing effects and can be used for insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitation, dizziness, etc. caused by heart and spleen deficiency and insufficient qi and blood. disease.

Characteristics and characteristics: Evergreen tree, tall tree. Most of them have even-numbered pinnate compound leaves, with opposite or alternate leaflets; terminal or axillary panicles; spherical fruit with black and shiny seeds. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruiting period is from July to August. It likes temperature and avoids freezing. The annual average temperature is 20-22℃, which is more suitable. It is sensitive to low temperature; usually the annual average temperature is <17.5-18℃, the coldest monthly average temperature is <10℃, and the absolute low temperature is <-5℃. Longan is difficult to cultivate economically. . It is relatively drought-tolerant, with the optimum total annual precipitation being 1000-1600mm; it has strong adaptability to soil.

Wild longan is a common tree species in the semi-evergreen monsoon forest on the low mountain and hilly terraces in southwestern Hainan. The annual average temperature in the distribution area is 24-26℃, and the annual precipitation is 900-1700 mm. It likes dry and hot habitats. During the growth and development process throughout the year, it requires a temperature of 18-25℃ and appropriate drought in winter and spring (November--April). The growth period in summer and autumn (May--November) requires 26-- A high temperature of 29℃ and abundant rainfall. It is a light-loving tree species. Seedlings cannot tolerate excessive shade, and mature trees need full sunlight. It has good natural renewal and is a deep-rooted tree species that can take root and grow in dry and lean soil. It has strong germination ability and can quickly germinate and regenerate tree stumps in logging or fire-scarred areas. Natural growth is slow. The height of the tree born in 1983 is only 20.2 meters and the diameter at breast height is 27 centimeters. It blooms from March to April and the fruit matures from July to August.

Distribution longan is native to southern and southwestern my country. Nowadays, longan in my country is mainly distributed in provinces (regions) such as Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan. In addition, there are also small ones in Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou Province. Large scale cultivation. Countries and regions that cultivate longan in the world include Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Queensland in Australia, Hawaii and Florida in the United States, etc.

According to pharmacological research, longan contains glucose, sucrose and vitamins A, B and other nutrients, among which more protein, fat and various minerals are contained. These nutrients are very necessary for the human body. Especially for people who are busy with their minds, it is more effective to consume the heart, spleen and blood.

Longan can treat physical weakness or mental decline after illness. It is also suitable for women to take supplements after childbirth. Li Shizhen recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Litchi is the most valuable food, and longan is the most valuable food." Longan is highly praised.

Variety: Dawuyuan, Shixiao, Fuyan, Chuliang, Guangyan

Function: Longan is rich in nutrients and is a precious nourishing enhancer. In addition to being eaten fresh, the fruits can also be made into cans, wine, pastes, sauces, etc., and can also be processed into Guiyuan dried meat, etc. In addition, the leaves, flowers, roots and core of longan can be used as medicine. The longan tree has a hard texture and fine and beautiful texture. It is a raw material for making high-end furniture and can be carved into various exquisite crafts. Longan contains a variety of nutrients, which can nourish blood and calm the nerves, strengthen the brain and intelligence, and nourish the heart and spleen. Studies have found that longan has an inhibitory rate of more than 90% on uterine cancer cells. Menopausal women are a stage where gynecological tumors are prone to occur, so they should eat it appropriately. Longan is good for health; longan has a tonic effect and has an auxiliary effect on people who need to take care of themselves after illness and who are weak.

Pick the fruits in July-August when they are mature and turn yellow-brown. The seeds have a short life span. After peeling off the husk, remove the aril and wash them with clean water before sowing. When the seedlings are 8-10 centimeters tall, plant them in separate beds or move them into nutrient bags, and use half-year or one-year seedlings to afforestation on spring or autumn rainy days. The forest land should be selected from low hills and terraces with an altitude of less than 500 meters. Cultivation of varieties must be propagated by grafting.

In terms of longan breeding, wild longan is a valuable germplasm resource. The wood has a fine structure, is strong and heavy, extremely resistant to corrosion and insect infestation. It is a strong industrial material and is suitable for use in vehicles, boats, bridges, hydraulic engineering, furniture, etc. The fruit is edible.

It is recommended that the undamaged and widely distributed semi-evergreen monsoon forest be designated as a wild longan nature reserve, and a seed orchard be established at a nearby state-owned forest farm to provide germplasm resources for cultivation.

The famous longan is a fruit in southern China, mostly produced in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions.

Together with lychees, bananas and pineapples, they are the four most precious fruits in South China. The tree is one or two feet tall, with long but slightly smaller leaves and white flowers that bloom in early autumn. In fact, they are heavy and falling, with a round shape, like a bullet but slightly smaller than a lychee, and a greenish-brown skin. When peeled off, the fruit is crystal clear and pulpy white, and the red-black core inside can be vaguely seen, which looks very much like an eyeball, hence the name "longan".

Quanzhou is one of the main longan producing areas in the country and has been rich in longan since ancient times. Quanzhou people commonly call the fresh longan fruit longan, and longan is dried into longan. Merchants often refer to both as "longan".

History Longan is native to southern my country, and its cultivation history can be traced back to the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. The Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) Jia Sixie's "Qi Min Yao Shu" says: "Longan is one for intelligence and one for eyesight." Because it matures in the season when osmanthus trees are fragrant, it is commonly known as Guiyuan. It was listed as an important tribute in ancient times. Emperor Wen of Wei (535-551) once ordered his ministers: "The rare fruits in the south include longan and lychee, and you will pay tribute every year."

In the Song Dynasty, longan was widely planted in Quanzhou. < /p>

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Wang Shipeng, the governor of Quanzhou County, praised longan: "The exquisite light red color sweeps away the ground, and thousands of trees are shouting with dragons. It is really like a puzzle, not a medicine, and the taste is better than lychee. It is really a slave." "

Ming Dynasty Huang Zhongzhao's "Tongzhi of Fujian" records: "The longan tree is like a lychee, with tiny leaves and yellow-brown skin. When the lychees have just passed, the longans will be ripe, so the southerners call them lychee slaves. It can be found in all counties of Quanzhou Prefecture, especially in the county (now Licheng District and Fengze District). "

The Book of Fujian written by He Qiaoyuan, a native of Quanzhou in the Ming Dynasty, records that "there are lychees in the garden and the benefits of longan, which are roasted and dried and spread all over the world." ”

Quanzhou longan has a long history of using grafting technology to propagate longan. Ming Xu Bo’s “Lychee Pu” (1597) and Deng Daoxie’s “Lychee Pu” (1628) both mention the use of grafting for longan propagation. In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhou Lianggong's "Min Xiaoji" (1666-1668) and Guo Baicang's "Fujian Production Record" both recorded the use of inlaying method for seed replacement, and the old method of filling with soil in a hanging bowl has many varieties. , with different flavors. There are more than 50 famous varieties, including Puming'anben and Honghaerben. The most praised one is "Dongbi" longan, which won the gold medal at the China Agricultural Expo in 1993.

"Bi" longan originated from a corner of the original Dongbi Temple next to the East Pagoda in Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou City, hence its name. Its parent plant was planted by monks of Kaiyuan Temple during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), and it lasted for more than 300 years until the Anti-Japanese War. It died during the war. There is an ancient longan tree in Quanzhou Chengtian Temple that is more than 200 years old. It is the oldest existing "Dongbi" longan tree. Today, "Dongbi" longan can be found in Quanzhou and other longan producing areas in this province. It is widely propagated. It is said that in the early years, a monk in Xianyou took "Dongbi" longan seedlings from Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou and planted them in Xianyou. Now there are 20,000 adult trees, named "Quanzhou Ben", but their quality is inferior to The original "Dongbi" longan is of high quality. Its peel has light yellow tiger stripes, which is called "flower shell" by Quan people, and its appearance is different from other longan varieties. The most significant difference is that "Dongbi" longan, also known as "Tanggua Honey", has pale white flesh, as transparent as gelatin, thick, tender and crisp, sweet and fragrant, and has the characteristics of "it does not get wet when placed on paper, and does not stick to the ground when dusted." " characteristics, it can be called a treasure among fruits.

There is also "Fuyan", originally called "Tiger Eye". "Quanzhou Prefecture Chronicle" has a record of "the big one is named Tiger Eye". Quanyu " "Tiger" and "Fu" have similar sounds, so "Fuyan" is used instead of "Tiger Eye" to take its auspicious and beautiful meaning. Fuyan is the main variety cultivated in Quanzhou, with a cultivation history of more than 800 years, and has won the International Paris Tourism Award. Gold Medal of Food and Quality Award of China Agricultural Expo. In recent years, longan has been planted in large quantities in all the province's production areas. It is said that the large-scale longan grown in Taiwan is also called "Fuyan" by local compatriots. p>

Guiyuan Medicinal Longan is longan (Gui Yuan, Yuan Rou). Unlike litchi, which is damp and hot in nature, longan can be used as medicine and has many functions such as aphrodisiac, nourishing the heart and spleen, nourishing blood and calming the nerves, and moisturizing and beautifying. , can treat anemia, heart palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, neurasthenia, and physical weakness after illness and postpartum.

The origin of longan

It is said that a long time ago, in Fujian, There was an evil dragon that made waves every August, destroying crops and houses. Countless people and animals were killed, so they had to flee their homes and hide in caves.

There was a local young man named Guiyuan who was very skilled in martial arts. He saw the evil dragon causing trouble and determined to eliminate harm for the people and fight with the evil dragon. In August, when the tide came, he prepared wine, pork and mutton, and put them together. After the evil dragon came ashore, his saliva drooled when he saw the pork and mutton, and he ate all the pork and mutton in a few mouthfuls. Because the pork and mutton had been soaked in a lot of wine, the evil dragon lay on the ground motionless before it could go far. At this time, Guiyuan raised the steel knife and stabbed the dragon's left eye. The dragon's eye was stabbed out. The dragon rolled back and forth in pain. When he was about to escape, Guiyuan grabbed the dragon's horn and rode on the dragon. When the dragon tried his best to When getting rid of Guiyuan, Guiyuan stabbed the evil dragon in the right eye with a steel knife. The evil dragon lost both eyes and screamed in pain. After a struggle, the dragon bled to death. Guiyuan also died due to being seriously injured in the fight.

As a result, a fruit grew in this place, which people called "longan" and "longan".

Another saying is that ancient people compared the round spherical fruits of longans to various eyes. The big longans are called longans, the medium ones are called tiger eyes, and the smallest ones are called ghost eyes. But modern people call them longan or longan.