Dimocarpus longan
Longan
Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as longan, is a tropical fruit-bearing tree prized in traditional medicine. Renowned for its sweet, translucent flesh, it is used in various cultures to nourish the blood, calm the spirit, and improve sleep quality. This nutrient-dense botanical offers significant antioxidant and restorative health benefits.
- Scientific name: Dimocarpus longan
- Family: Sapindaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, known as Dimocarpus longan, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Sapindales and the family Sapindaceae. Its taxonomic journey concludes within the genus Dimocarpus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Sapindales | WCVP |
| Family | Sapindaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Dimocarpus | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Dimocarpus longan, is known by various common names depending on the linguistic context. In Nan Chinese, it is referred to as Lêng-géng, while in Chinese, the names vary slightly by script and region: it is written as 龙眼 in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans) and in mainland China (zh-cn), as 龍眼 in Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and as 龍眼 in Hong Kong (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| nan | Lêng-géng | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 龙眼 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 龍眼 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 龍眼 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 龙眼 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 龙眼 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 龍眼 | Wikidata |
| map-bms | Klèngkèng | Wikidata |
| jv | Klèngkèng | Wikidata |
| bo | འབྲུག་མིག | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily found across various regions of East and Southeast Asia. In China, its presence is widespread, spanning from the South-Central provinces to the island of Hainan and throughout the Southeast regions. The species also has a significant distribution in Eastern Asia, specifically within Taiwan. Beyond the Asian continent, its range extends to the Western Indian Ocean. There, it can be found growing on the island of Réunion.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Indian Ocean | Réunion | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Sri Lanka | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as longan, is valued in traditional medicine primarily for its nutritional and therapeutic properties derived from its fruit. The fruit consists of a thin, brownish, leathery rind that protects a translucent, juicy white flesh surrounding a single dark, hard seed. In various medicinal practices, the dried fruit is used to nourish the blood, calm the nerves, and improve sleep quality, making it a significant component in herbal formulations aimed at addressing fatigue and palpitations.- Total parts
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Dimocarpus longan has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include corilagin, flavanone.
- Total chemicals
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| corilagin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavanone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Dimocarpus longan has 5 reported activities identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antitumor, Hepatoprotective.
- Total activities
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 9
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Dimocarpus longan has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Alzheimer's disease, cancer, dysentery, inflammation, obesity.
- Total uses
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dysentery | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| obesity | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative stress | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| parasitic infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rheumatism | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |