Widely used in oriental medicine, the longan fruit grows in drooping clusters. Globose, 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, with thin, brittle, yellow-brown to light reddish-brown rind. The flesh is whitish, translucent, somewhat musky, sweet, but not as sweet as that of the lychee and with less "bouquet". The seed is round, jet-black, shining, with a circular white spot at the base, giving it the aspect of an eye.

Longan may be used for stomach aches, insomnia, and amnesia. The fruit is said to invigorate the heart and spleen, nourish the blood and have a calming effect on the nervous system.