Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of plant in Moraceae, tree up to 30 meters tall, large and straight trunk up to 8 meters, often with low and elongated buttresses, loose crown, flat branches, producing latex and large arranged leaves. alternately.
A. altilis has leaves with a width of 20-40 cm, 20-60 cm long, sharing a deep pinnate, slightly tough like the skin, the upper side is dark green and shiny, the underside is rough and hairy. The buds are covered by cone-shaped leaves.
The inflorescences are in the axils of the leaves, near the ends of the branches. Male flowers in spikes are long, hanging, 15-25 cm long, bright green and yellow when ripe, yellow pollen and easily blown by the wind. The female flowers are round or cylindrical, 5-7 cm wide, 8-10 cm long and green.
Compound fruit is the development of compound female flowers, 10-30 cm in diameter. Seed form with soft spines and short, dark green. The seedless form usually has a yellowish green skin with spines that are reduced to a rectangular or hexagonal facet eye pattern.
Seeds are round or slightly flattened to slightly square, brownish, 2.5 cm wide, covered by a flower tent. Breadfruit that does not produce seeds and flower tents at the top are united, growing into fruit flesh.
This species likes temperatures of 20-40C, rainfall of 2000-3000 mm/year, humidity of 70-90% and elevations below 600 meters. Tree shoots do better in shade, but then need full sun to grow large.
Fruit is an important food as a source of carbohydrates. Energy value 470-670 kJ per 100 grams. Fruit can be cooked whole or cut into pieces by boiling, frying, roasting and baking. Cooked fruit can be sliced and dried in the sun or in an oven for preservation and long shelf life.
Fruit contains 71% water, 27% carbohydrates, 1% protein and little fat. In a 100 g (3.5 oz) amount, the unripe fruit is a rich source (35% of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C and a moderate source (10% DV each) of thiamin and potassium, with no other significant nutrients.
The excess fruit harvest is buried in pits and left to ferment for several weeks, turning it into a long-lasting, nutritious cheese-like paste that can be made into baked goods. Breadfruit can also be made into chips by thinly sliced and fried.
Each tree produces up to 200 fruits annually. Each fruit weighs 400-1200 grams, but certain varieties can weigh 5 kg. Dried fruit pulp can be made into flour with a starch content of up to 75%, 31% sugar, 5% protein and 2% fat.
Leaves for animal feed. Bark produces good fiber as a local clothing material. The sap is used for snaring birds, patching up boats and a base for chewing gum. Wood has a nice pattern, is light and strong, so it is often used as a material for household appliances, light construction and boats.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Tribe: Artocarpeae
Genus: Artocarpus J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. in Char. Gen. Pl., ed. 2.: 101 (1776)
Species: Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg in J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 31: 95 (1941)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Sitodium altile Parkinson in J. Voy. South Seas: 45 (1773)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Artocarpus altilis var. non-seminifer (Duss) Fournet in Fl. Illustr. Phan. Guadeloupe & Martinique 1: 170 (2002)
Artocarpus communis J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. in Char. Gen. Pl., ed. 2.: 102 (1776)
Artocarpus incisifolius Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 4: 331 (1812)
Artocarpus incisifolius var. apyrenus Stokes (1812)
Artocarpus incisus (Thunb.) L.f. in Suppl. Pl.: 411 (1782)
Artocarpus incisus var. laevis (Hassk.) Miq. in Fl. Ned. Ind. 1(2): 285 (1859)
Artocarpus incisus var. non-seminifer Duss in Fl. Phan. Antill. Franç.: 155 (1897)
Artocarpus laevis Hassk. in Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 10: 124 (1842)
Artocarpus rima Blanco in Fl. Filip.: 671 (1837)
Radermachia incisa Thunb. in Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 37: 253 (1776)
Saccus communis (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 633 (1891)
Saccus laevis (Hassk.) Kuntze (1891)
PUBLICATIONS
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
Banks, R.C. (ed.) (1982). Wildlife and wildlife habitat of American Samoa 2: 1-151. U.S. Fisch and Wildlife services, Washington.
Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K. & Monterrosa Salomón, J. (2012). Nova Silva Cusatlantica. Árboles natinos e introducidos de El Salvador. Parte 2: Angiospermae - Familias M a P y Pteridophyta. Englera 29-2: 1-300.
Brako, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 45: i-xl, 1-1286. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia, A Journal of Botanical Research 41: 41-82.
Florence, J. (1997). Flore de la Polynésie Française 1: 1-393. IRD editions, Paris.
Fosberg, F.R. & Sachet, M.-H. (1987). Flora of the Gilbert Island, Kiribati, Checklist. Atoll Research Bulletin 295: 1-33.
Gardner, E.M. & Zerega, N.J.C. (2021). Taxonomic updates to Artocarpus subgenus Pseudojaca (Moraceae), with a particular focus on the taxa in Singapore. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 73: 309-374.
Gonzalez, F., Nelson Diaz, J. & Lowry, P. (1995). Flora Illustrada de San Andrés y Providencia: 1-281. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Colombia.
Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].
Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 529. MIM, Deurne.
Hammel, B.E. & al. (eds.) (2007). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica, volumen VI, Dicotyledóneas (Haloragaceae-Phytolaccaceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 111: 1-933. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Hancock, I.R. & Henderson, C.P. (1988). Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin Dodo Creek Research Station 7: 1-203.
Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.
Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.
Parham, B.E.V. (1971). The Vegetation of the Tokelau Islands with special reference to the plants of Nukunonu Atoll. New Zealand Journal of Botany 9: 576-609.
Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.
Pusalkar, P.K., Mao, A.A. & Inge, P. (eds.) (2022). Flora of India 24: 1-688. Botanical Survey of India.
Sykes, W.R. (1970). Contributions to the flora of Niue. Bulletin, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 200: 1-321.
Thaman, R.R., Fosberg, F.R., Manner, H.I. & Hassall, D.C. (1994). The Flora of Nauru. Atoll Research Bulletin 392: 1-223.
Trusty, J.L., Kesler, H.C. & Delgado, G.H. (2006). Vascular flora of Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, 57: 247-355.
Velayos, M., Barberá, P., Cabezas, F.J., de la Estrella, M., Fero, M. & Aedo, C. (2014). Checklist of the vascular plants of Annobón (Equatorial Guinea). Phytotaxa 171: 1-78.
Woodroffe, C.D. (1985). Vegetation and flora of Nui Atoll, Tuvalu. Atoll Research Bulletin 283: 1-18.
VERNACULAR NAME
Aceh: Kulu
Afrikaans: Broodvrugboom
Ambon: Amakir, Umare
Arabic: فاكهة الخبز
Austria: Brotfruchtbaum
Bislama: Bredfruit
Chamorro: Lemai
Chinese (simplified): 面包树
Chinese (traditional): 太平洋麵包樹
Croatian: Kruhovac, Biljna vrsta
Danish: Brødfrugttræ
Dutch: Broodvrucht, Broodboom
English: Breadfruit
Fiji: Kuru
Finnish: Leipäpuu, Malaijienleipäpuu
French: Arbre à pain
German: Brotfruchtbaum
Hawaiian: 'ulu
Hebrew: פרי לחם
Hindi: Vilayati Kathal, Bakri-chajhar
Hong Kong: 太平洋麵包樹
Indonesia: Sukun
Japanese: パンノキ
Java: Sukun
Kannada: Jeegujje, Deevi halasu, Divi halasu, Rotti halasu, Gujju halasu, Seeme halasu, Sime halasu
Konkani: Jivi Kadgi
Korean: 빵나무
Lithuanian: Paprastasis duonmedis
Macao: 太平洋麵包樹
Makassar: Gomasi, Bakara
Malayalam: Kataccakka, Seemachakka
Maluku: Suune
Maori: Kuru
Marathi: Nirphanas, Vilayati Phanas
Minang: Kalawi
North Maluku: Amo
Palauan: Meduu
Polish: Chlebowiec właściwy
Portuguese: Fruta-pão
Russian: Хлебное дерево
Sanskrit: Nagadamini
Selayar: Kuloro
Sinhala: දෙල්
Slovak: Chlebovník obyčajný
Spanish: Árbol del pan, Fruta de pan
Sranan: Tongo bredebon
Sunda: Sukunutan, Timbul, Kulur
Tagalog: Rimas
Tahuti: Uru
Taiwan: 太平洋麵包樹
Tamil: ஈரப்பலா Irappala, Kadapila, Irppla
Telugu: Kura panasa
Thai: สาเก
Tonga: Mei
Tulu: Jee gujje
Turkish: Ekmek ağacı
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