异叶番荔枝 yi ye fan li zhi

Trees to 8 m tall, deciduous. Branchlets tomentose, glabrescent. Axillary leaf buds ovoid, brown tomentose, apex obtuse. Petiole ca. 1 cm; leaf blade broadly obovate to ovate-lanceolate, 7.5-20 × 3-10 cm, papery, abaxially gray pruinose and brown tomentose, adaxially smooth and glabrous, secondary veins 11-14 on each side of midvein and adaxially flat, base rounded to obtuse, apex rounded. Flowering branches associated with large auriculate leaves. Inflorescences 1-3-flowered. Flowers ca. 3 cm. Sepals ovate, 2-4 mm, outside tomentose, inside glabrous. Petals reddish; outer petals linear-oblong, 1.5-3 cm, tomentose; inner petals absent. Stamens oblong, ca. 1.5 mm. Syncarp green to reddish, conic, ovoid, or spherical, ca. 20 × 15 cm, tuberculate; pulp white or brownish when ripe. Seeds blackish brown, ovoid to obovoid, ca. 1 cm. Fl. Apr-Aug, fr. Jun-Nov. 2n = 14.

Cultivated; 100-200 m. Guangdong [native to Central America and S Mexico].

This species is cultivated for the fine fruit, ilama, which are eaten raw.