Artocarpus altilis

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Artocarpus altilis

Description

Tree up to 35(-40) m tall, with buttresses, evergreen or deciduous. Leaves spirally arranged; stipules (3-)10-25(-35) cm long, whitish to brownish appressedly puberulous, often also brownish (sub)strigillose to (sub)hirsute or setose (to strigose), or brownish to yellowish subsericeous to subvillous or hirsute, caducous. stamen 1.5-2.8 mm long, anther 0.6-0.8 mm long; fruits ellipsoid, 1-1.2 or 2-2.5 cm long.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Lesser Sunda Is. present; New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Flores present, Melanesia present, Micronesia present, Polynesia present, Solomon Islands present
Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia; in Malesia: Philippines, Celebes, Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores), New Guinea; in these islands also the cultivated seeded and seedless forms of the species; these are also in cultivation elsewhere in Malesia (and throughout the tropics) (see also ); there are some indications that the wild form extends to the Solomon Islands. Seeded cultivars may naturalize.

Morphology

3The names Artocarpus camansi and A. rima are based on vernacular names applied in the Philippines to the seeded and seedless cultivars of the species. 5Molecular studies by Zerega et al. (2004) confirmed the complexity of origin and distribution of cultivated forms of the species. The study recognizes three main groups (treated as species): ‘A. camasi’ probably representing the material indicated as the wild form above, ‘A. mariannensis’, a somewhat different Micronesian wild form of the species (and its derivates in cultivation), and ‘A. altilis’, representing the diverse cultivated material from Melanesia and Polynesia. 6Fosberg (1960) referred the Micronesian material of this species partly to Artocarpus mariannensis, partly to A. altilis, and the rest to hybrids between the two ‘species’. A study by Ragone (2001) on chromosome numbers and fertility in Artocarpus material of the Pacific also revealed partial and full sterility in tetraploid material. 4The normal chromosome number of this species is 2n = 56, and is linked with normal seed and pollen production. The seedless cultivars have 2n = 84 and pollen production is poor. The situation is less clear in Micronesia (see below). 1In Malesia, three forms can be distinguished: the wild form with relatively small infructescences (up to 10 or 15 cm long) with relatively small seeds (1-1.2 cm long) and two cultivated forms with larger infructescences (up to 30 cm long or wide), the seeded form with larger fruits (2-2.5 cm long). The wild form is, with regard to the indumentum, rather variable: varying from sparse to dense on various parts (such as the stipules), from short to long, from rather weak to rigid and pungent (or setose), from straight to uncinate (when juvenile?), from whitish to yellowish to (dark) brown. Material with stiff and pungent hairs was included in A. horridus (by Jarrett 1959) and is the common form in the Moluccas and western New Guinea. The wild form also shows a considerable variation in shape and length of the apices of the perianths of the pistillate flowers, varying in length from 2 to 15 mm, and in shape from pyramidate to filiform. Plants with the longer perianths (10-15 mm) and filiform apices are mainly found in the Philippines (but do occur elsewhere, e.g., in Flores). These have been included in A. blancoi (by Jarrett 1959), but perianth with short-tubular apices also occur in Luzon and Palawan. The stigmas are simple or bifid, short or rather long, and straight or twisted. Lack of adequate material makes it difficult to figure out to what extent the variation mentioned above is also found in the cultivated form(s) in Malesia and other tropical regions where the species is in cultivation. 2The infructescences and seeds of this species, known as the ‘breadfruit’, are (and have been) important food sources. A detailed account on the economic importance and history, and morphological variation of the cultivated forms was presented by Jarrett (), Barrau (1979: 201-202), Zerega (2003/2004), and Zerega et al. (2004). 7It is with some hesitation that A. multifida and A. pinnatisectus are included, not because of the numerous lobes of the lamina, or the anomalous staminate inflorescences (see ), but because of the presence of the few peltate interfloral bracts in the pistillate inflorescences. Presence or absence of interfloral bracts is not consistent in the subgenus and interfloral bracts (or processes) tend to occur in material of the species from the Philippines, but not (or rarely) elsewhere within the species range.
A. Barrau, J. 1979: Breadfruit and relatives. – In: Evolution of crop plants, B. Fosberg, F.R. 1960: Introgression in Artocarpus (Moraceae) in Micronesia. – Brittonia 12, C. Natural History, D. Ragone, D. 2001: Chromosome numbers and pollen stainability of three species of Pacific breadfruit (Artocarpus, Moraceae). – Amer. J. Bot. 88, E. Zerega, N.J.C. 2004: D. Ragone & T.J Motley. – Complex origins of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae): implications for human migrations in Oceania. Amer. J. Bot. 91

Citation

J. & G. Forst. 1918: Sp. Blancoan.: 123
Kochummen 1978 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 124
Corner 1988: p. 518. – In: Wayside Trees Malaya, ed. 3: t. 161
Miq. 1851: Pl. Jungh.: 44
Archbold 1942 – In: A.L. Rand & Brass, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 79: 233, 235
Hook. 1828 – In: Bot. Mag.: t. 2869-2871
W.H. Br. 1921: p. 162. – In: Min. Prod. Philip. For.: t. 13, 14
H. St. John 1948 – In: Pacific Sci.: 109
S. Vidal 1886: Revis. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 254
F.M. Jarrett 1959 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 40: 307
Merr. 1906 – In: Philipp. J. Sci.: 43
Corner 1939 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 10: 290
L.f. 1861 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 417
Ochse & Bakh. 1931: Veg. Dutch East Indies: 488
Burkill 1935: Dict. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 250
Warb. 1891 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 295
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 40
Trécul 1847 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat.: 122
K. Schum. 1898 – In: Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem: 110
Trécul 1847 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat.: 110
1880: 3: 77
G. Forst 1784: Vom Brodbaum
Blanco 1837: Fl. Filip.: 668
Miq. 1867 – In: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi: 211
L.f. 1940: Wayside Trees Malaya: 655: t. 196
Blanco 1845: Fl. Filip.,, ed. 2: 465
Decne. 1835: Herb. Timorensis Descr.: 164
Merr. 1917: Interpr. Herb. Amboin.: 191
King 1889 – In: Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta): 16
Merr. 1918: Sp. Blancoan.: 123
Blanco 1879 – In: Fl. Filip., ed. 3,: 75
Fern.-Vill. 1880: Nov. App.: 202
J. & G. Forst. 1912: Fl. Manila: 176
Quisumb. 1951: Med. Pl. Philipp.: 226
Backer & Bakh.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 18
H.J. Lam 1934 – In: Blumea: 119
Brass & A.L. Rand 1940 – In: Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.: 366, 367
Saff. 1905: p. 189. – In: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb.: t. 7, 27, 36
Baill. 1863: p. 79. – In: Adansonia: t. 5
R. Rajendran 1991: p. 83. – In: Prosea: cum t.
J. & G. Forst. 1917: Interpr. Herb. Amboin.: 190
Roxb. 1832: Fl. Ind., ed. Carey 3: 527
K. Schum. & Lauterb. 1901: Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 267
Fosberg 1960 – In: Brittonia: 108
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 43
Koord. & Valeton 1906 – In: Bijdr. Boomsoort. Java: 15
Koord. 1912 – In: Exkurs.-Fl. Java: 92
Lauterb. 1930 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 421, 437, 442
Blume 1825: Bijdr.: 480
Span. 1841 – In: Linnaea: 343
Quisumb. 1951: Med. Pl. Philipp.: 226
1845: 467
L.f. 1859 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 285
K. Schum. 1888 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 199
1880: 3: 76
Fosberg 1960 – In: Brittonia: 104
1845: 467
Houtt. 1779: p. 449. – In: Nat. Hist.: t. 76
Lane-Poole 1925: For. Res.: 81
F.M. Jarrett 1959 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 40: 301
Ridl. 1924 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 351
F.M. Jarrett 1959: p. 323. – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 40: t. 13
Quisumb. 1940 – In: Philipp. J. Sci.: 331
Merr. 1918: Sp. Blancoan.: 124
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 285
Quisumb. 1941 – In: Philipp. J. Sci.: 331