Can anyone name this 2 inch fruit?
Rambutan.
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Yep rambutan. A old one thats past its prime.
The surprising thing is that it maintains sweetness and good taste even it is so wrinkled and turns almost black.
The bad ones usually ooze liquid with sour smell.
The picture was too dark. It looked better than the picture shows. Actually it was perfectly ripe. Never saw one in NY so it was novel to me. Got that one in Florida.
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I bet you can find it in Asian markets in big cities in NY.
Yes you can! They sell them in many markets in Chinatown in NYC. 
Okay, so what does it taste like? Can it be grown here in the USA in warmer climates (i.e., full on tropical plant or possibly semi-tropical?) Very interesting fruit!
Patty S.
I ate my first rambutans last summer. I was not impressed by the fruit at all. It had an interesting flavor but there wasn’t much to it. They weren’t easy to peel and very little edible flesh. Reminded me of a leechy.
Yes, taste is similar to Lychees. It’s a non-acidic mild taste. With some practice the outer shell can be cleanly removed. It has a single seed.
I love them. They are very much like Lychee, but a bit more floral to me. You’d love them!
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To my palate, rambutan have a slight grape taste and texture. So for me it is a novelty – and a fair amount of work to eat a grape.
LOL! 
Patti,
I checked California Rare Fruit Grower website. It has rambutan listed. You may want to contact them.
Rambutan appearnce is very different. It has red skin. Some varieties have red “hair”, others have green hair against green skin. Someone here said it resembled firework.
Fruit is sweet, firm texture with on single seed. To eat it, cut a circle around mid section, pull off the skin. You eat the flesh but be careful not to bite on to the seed. Some cut open and remove the seed. Good varieties have non-cling seed that easily separate from flesh.
Most people do not grow them in the backyard. The tree can be 30 ft tall.
I meant to say green hair against red skin.
Any relationship to horned melon?
I am pretty sure they are not.
Thanks!
related to lychees and longans. All of them delicious.
but as with many fruits, there are cultivars that are much better-tasting than others.
have come across folks in cloudforest(from so cal) who manage to grow them into mature fruit-bearers. Some of the happiest folks in continental usa, will have to say!