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Lychee powder
Collect
Litchi shell is the exocarp of Sapindaceae plant litchi. The medicinal material is the dry exocarp, which is irregularly cracked, the surface is reddish brown, with many small tumor-like protrusions, and the inner surface is smooth and dark brown. Thin leathery and brittle. Evergreen tree, 10-15m high. Even-numbered pinnate compound leaves, alternate, leaves with petioles 10-25cm long, or over; leaflets 2 or 3 pairs, at least 4 pairs, small petioles 7-8mm long, leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 6 in length -15cm, 2-4cm wide, sharp apex or short acuminate caudate, entire margin, glabrous, thin or leathery. Inflorescence terminal, broad, multi-branched; herbaceous, monoecious; calyx shallow cup-shaped, deeply 5-lobed, covered with short golden-yellow hairs; petals 5, with broad and thick-haired scales on the inner side of the base; stamens 6- 7, sometimes 8, filaments about 4mm long; ovary densely covered with nodules and bristles. Fruit ovoid to nearly spherical, 2-35cm long, usually dark red to bright red when ripe. Seeds are all covered by fleshy aril. Flowering in spring, fruiting in summer. |
