Lychee

Litchi chinensis

A major summer fruit, evergreen shrub, or a small tree with thin, grey, rough bark, spreading branches, and dark green, glossy foliage (paler underneath), each leaf subdivided into 4-12 leaflets.

Bark: thin, grey, rough

Leaf: feather compound, without terminal, leaflet 4-12 pairs, oppositely or alternately arranged. Glossy deep green above, pale below

Flower: minute, greenish without petals very inconspicuous, in small sprays at the ends of the branches

Fruit: roundish, contained in thin, brittle rinds, which are covered with small, raised points, and are usually pink or crimson when ripe. Each fruit contains a single large dark brown seed surrounded by a white, juicy, translucent pulp which is sweet, delicately flavored.

Season: flowers appear in February and March, aid the fruit ripens in end of April to May. The young leaves appear at various times throughout the year and are often pink colored.

Range/habitat: The litchi is now widely cultivated in India, having been introduced from South China. Muzaffarpur district of Bihar is said to produce the best quality.

Where to find: In Rabindra sarobar there is one inside Lions safari Park in the orchard near laughing club