Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This article is about the tree. For the cipher, see Rambutan (cryptography).
Rambutan
Rambutan fruits
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Nephelium
Species: N. lappaceum
Binomial name
Nephelium lappaceum
L.[1]
Contents
[hide]
1Etymology
2Origin and distribution
3Description
4Pollination
5Production
6Cultivation
7Cultivars
8Nutrients and phytochemicals
9Gallery
10See also
11References
Etymology[edit]
The name "rambutan" is derived from the Malay-Indonesian languages word for rambut or "hair",
a reference to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruit, together with the noun-
building suffix -an.[2][4] In Vietnam, it is called chôm chôm (meaning "messy hair") due to the
spines covering the fruit's skin.[5]
Description[edit]
It is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 12–20 m.[4] The leaves are alternate, 10–30 cm
long, pinnate, with three to 11 leaflets, each leaflet 5–15 cm wide and 3–10 cm broad, with an
entire margin. The flowers are small, 2.5–5 mm, apetalous, discoidal, and borne in erect
terminal panicles15–30 cm wide.[4]
Rambutan trees can be male (producing only staminate flowers and, hence, produce no fruit),
female (producing flowers that are only functionally female), or hermaphroditic (producing flowers
that are female with a small percentage of male flowers).
The fruit is a round to oval single-seeded berry, 3–6 cm (rarely to 8 cm) long and 3–4 cm broad,
borne in a loose pendant cluster of 10–20 together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or
yellow), and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name, which means 'hairs'. The fruit
flesh, which is actually the aril, is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic
flavor very reminiscent of grapes.[4]
The single seed is glossy brown, 1–1.3 cm, with a white basal scar.[4] Soft and containing equal
portions of saturated and unsaturated fats,[7]the seeds may be cooked and eaten. The peeled
fruits can be eaten raw, or cooked and eaten: first, the grape-like fleshy aril, then the nutty seed,
with no waste.
Pollination[edit]
Aromatic rambutan flowers are highly attractive to many insects, especially bees. Flies (Diptera),
bees (Hymenoptera), and ants (Solenopsis) are the main pollinators. Among the
Diptera, Lucilia spp. are abundant, and among the Hymenoptera, honey bees (Apis
dorsata and A. cerana) and the stingless bee genus Trigona are the major visitors.[4] A.
ceranacolonies foraging on rambutan flowers produce large quantities of honey. Bees foraging
for nectar routinely contact the stigma of male flowers and gather significant quantities of the
sticky pollen from male blossoms. Little pollen has been seen on bees foraging female flowers.
Although male flowers open at 06:00, foraging by A. cerana is most intense between 07:00 and
11:00, tapering off rather abruptly thereafter. In Thailand, A. cerana is the preferred species for
small-scale pollination of rambutan. Its hair is also helpful in pollination where pollen can be
hooked on and transported to female flowers.
Production[edit]
Rambutan is an important fruit tree of humid tropical Southeast Asia, traditionally cultivated
especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.[8] It is a popular garden fruit tree and propagated
commercially in small orchards. It is one of the best-known fruits of Southeast Asia and is also
widely cultivated elsewhere in the tropics including Africa, the Caribbean islands, Costa Rica,
Honduras, Panama, India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. It is also produced in Ecuador where it
is known as achotillo and on the island of Puerto Rico.[4]
Thailand is the largest producer of rambutan, with 588,000 tonnes (55.5 percent), followed by
Indonesia with 320,000 tonnes (30.2 percent) and Malaysia with 126,300 tonnes (11.9 percent)
in 2005, the three countries collectively accounting for 97 percent of the world's supply of
rambutan.[9] In Thailand, a major cultivation center is in Surat Thani Province. In Indonesia, the
production center of rambutan is in the western parts of Indonesia, which
includes Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.[10] In Java, the orchards and pekarangan(habitation
yards) in the villages of Greater Jakarta and West Java, have been known as rambutan
production centers since colonial era, with trading center in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
Rambutan production is increasing in Australia and, in 1997, was one of the top three tropical
fruits produced in Hawaii.
The fruit are usually sold fresh, used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Evergreen rambutan
trees with their abundant coloured fruit make beautiful landscape specimens.
In India, rambutan is imported from Thailand[11] as well as grown in Pathanamthitta District of the
southern state of Kerala.[12]
Rambutans are not a climacteric fruit — that is, they ripen only on the tree and appear not to
produce a ripening agent such as the plant hormone, ethylene, after being harvested.[4]
Cultivation[edit]
Rambutan is adapted to warm tropical climates, around 22–30 °C, and is sensitive to
temperatures below 10 °C.[4] It is grown commercially within 12–15° of the equator.[13] The tree
grows well at elevations up to 500 m (1,600 ft) above sea level, and does best in deep soil, clay
loam or sandy loam rich in organic matter, and thrive on hilly terrain as they require good
drainage.[13] Rambutan is propagated by grafting,[13] air-layering,[13] and budding; the latter is most
common as trees grown from seed often produce sour fruit. Budded trees may fruit after two to
three years with optimum production occurring after eight to 10 years. Trees grown from seed
bear after five to six years.
The aril is attached to the seed in some commercial cultivars, but "freestone" cultivars are
available and in high demand. Usually, a single light brown seed is found, which is high in certain
fats and oils (primarily oleic acid and arachidic acid)[7] valuable to industry, and used in cooking
and the manufacture of soap. Rambutan roots, bark, and leaves have various uses in traditional
medicine[2] and in the production of dyes.
In some areas, rambutan trees can bear fruit twice annually, once in late fall and early winter,
with a shorter season in late spring and early summer.[2] Other areas, such as Costa Rica, have a
single fruit season, with the start of the rainy season in April stimulating flowering, and the fruit is
usually ripe in August and September. The fragile fruit must ripen on the tree, then they are
harvested over a four- to seven-week period. The fresh fruit are easily bruised and have a limited
shelf life. An average tree may produce 5,000–6,000 or more fruit (60–70 kg or 130–155 lb per
tree).[2] Yields begin at 1.2 tonnes per hectare (0.5 tons/acre) in young orchards and may reach
20 tonnes per hectare (8 tons per acre) on mature trees. In Hawaii, 24 of 38 cultivated hectares
(60 of 95 acres) were harvested producing 120 tonnes of fruit in 1997. Yields could be increased
by improved orchard management, including pollination, and by planting high-yielding compact
cultivars.[2]
Most commercial cultivars are hermaphroditic; cultivars that produce only functionally female
flowers require the presence of male trees.[2]Male trees are seldom found, as vegetative selection
has favored hermaphroditic clones that produce a high proportion of functionally female flowers
and a much lower number of flowers that produce pollen. Over 3,000 greenish-white flowers
occur in male panicles, each with five to seven anthers and a nonfunctional ovary. Male flowers
have yellow nectaries and five to seven stamens. About 500 greenish-yellow flowers occur in
each hermaphroditic panicle. Each flower has six anthers, usually a bilobed stigma, and one
ovule in each of its two sections (locules).[4] The flowers are receptive for about one day, but may
persist if pollinators are excluded.
In Thailand, rambutan trees were first planted in Surat Thani in 1926 by the Chinese Malay K.
Vong in Ban Na San. An annual rambutan fair is held during August harvest time.[14]
In Malaysia, rambutan flowers from March to July and again between June and November,
usually in response to rain following a dry period. Flowering periods differ for other localities.
Most, but not all, flowers open early in the day. Up to 100 flowers in each female panicle may be
open each day during peak bloom. Initial fruit set may approach 25 percent, but a high abortion
level contributes to a much lower level of production at harvest (1 to 3 percent). The fruit matures
15–18 weeks after flowering.
Rambutan cultivation in Sri Lanka mainly consists of small home gardens. Malwana, a village in
the Kelani River Valley, is popular for its rambutan orchards. Their production comes to market in
May, June, and July, when it is very common to observe seasonal traders along the streets
of Colombo. Sri Lanka also has some off-season rambutan production in January and February
in areas such as Bibile, Medagama, and Monaragala.
Both male and female flowers are faintly sweet-scented and have functional nectaries at the
ovary base. Female flowers produce two to three times more nectar than male flowers. Nectar
sugar concentration ranges between 18–47 percent and is similar between the flower types.
Rambutan is an important nectar source for bees in Malaysia.
Cross-pollination is a necessity because the anther is absent in most functionally female flowers.
Although apomixis may occur in some cultivars, rambutan, like lychee, is dependent upon insects
for pollination. In Malaysia, where only about one percent of the female flowers set fruit, no fruit is
set on bagged flowers while hand pollination resulted in a 13 percent fruit set. Pollinators may
maintain a fidelity to either male or hermaphroditic flowers (trees), thus limiting pollination and
fruit set under natural conditions where crossing between male and female flowers is required.
Cultivars[edit]
Carbohydrates 20.87 g
Fat 0.21 g
Protein 0.65 g
Vitamins
0.013 mg
0.022 mg
1.352 mg
Vitamin B6 (2%)
0.02 mg
8 μg
Vitamin C (6%)
4.9 mg
Minerals
Calcium (2%)
22 mg
Iron (3%)
0.35 mg
Magnesium (2%)
7 mg
Manganese (16%)
0.343 mg
Phosphorus (1%)
9 mg
Potassium (1%)
42 mg
Sodium (1%)
11 mg
Zinc (1%)
0.08 mg
Units
μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units
adults.
Rambutan fruit contains diverse nutrients but in modest amounts, with only manganese having
moderate content at 16 percent of the Daily Value per 100 g consumed (right table; note data are
for canned fruit in syrup, not as raw which may have different nutrient contents).
As an unpigmented fruit flesh, rambutan does not contain significant polyphenol content,[15] but its
colorful rind displays diverse phenolic acids, such as syringic, coumaric, gallic, caffeic,
and ellagic acids having antioxidant activity in vitro.[16][17] Rambutan seeds contain equal
proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, where arachidic (34%) and oleic (42%)
acids, respectively, are highest in fat content.[7]
The pleasant fragrance of rambutan fruit derives from numerous volatile organic compounds,
including beta-damascenone, vanillin, phenylacetic acid, and cinnamic acid.[18]
Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]
List of culinary fruits
Pomology
References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Nephelium
lappaceum.
Wikispecies has
information related
to Nephelium lappaceum
64
499
LA
3210
126
278605
34-1
71
ew-2382804
ELA7
0009191
Categories:
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Article
Talk
Read
Edit
View history
Search
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Wikispecies
Languages
العربية
Español
हिन्दी
Basa Jawa
മലയാളം
Bahasa Melayu
Русский
தமிழ்
中文
49 more
Edit links
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews