Pg. 27-28 Botaniese Aspekte van die Lietsjie

Die lietsjieboom is immergroen en kan ‘n hoogte van tot 18 m bereik. Daar is na bewering borne in China wat 1 000 Jaar oud is en steeds vrugte dra. Die blare is saamgesteld, 240 tot 280 mm lank en bestaan uit vyf tot agt blaartjies. Die blaartjies is min of meer langwerpig lansetvormig en 120 tot 140 mm lank met ‘n wigvormige basis.

Summary:

• The lychee tree is evergreen and can grow up to 18 meters tall; some trees in China are reported to be 1,000 years old and still bearing fruit.
• Leaves are compound, 240-280 mm long with 5-8 leaflets that are lance-shaped and 120-140 mm long with a wedge-shaped base.
• Flowering occurs in spring after a winter dormancy, with a terminal branched panicle; flowers are small, inconspicuous, and lack petals.
• The tree is monoecious with separate male and female functional flowers on the same inflorescence, which appear in three types (A, B, C) with different functions (male, female, male) in sequence to ensure pollen availability.
• Fruit growth follows a sigmoid curve with three stages: Stage 1 (slow growth of skin, embryo, seed coat, lasts ~50-60 days), Stage 2 (rapid seed and aril development, lasts ~14-21 days), Stage 3 (main aril development, lasts ~35-40 days).
• At full maturity, the fruit weighs about 21.5 g with approximately 74.5% of edible aril, 14% skin, and 11.5% seed.
• Fruit ripeness is reached at 21-22 g mass, characterized by a conical to heart-shaped fruit with a dry, non-splitting skin and sweet, juicy aril.
• The development times from full bloom to 1 g mass and from 1 g mass to ripeness are consistent across seasons, totaling about 98-106 days.
• Fruit drop occurs notably during Stage 2, mostly due to embryo mortality, but fruits with dead embryos continue to mature and are known as “chicken tongue” seeds, which have a larger, tastier edible aril and are favored by consumers.
• Observations and data are specific to Nelspruit, and timing may vary in other regions.