Moraceae

Artocarpus J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

First published in Char. Gen. Pl.: 101 (1776)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & Subtropical Asia to W. Pacific.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Monoecious trees with white latex; leaves medium-sized to large, entire or lobed, pinnately veined; stipules paired, often large and papery
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences unisexual, axillary or cauliflorous on old wood
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Staminate flowers in stout, cylindric spikes; perianth 2–4- lobed, with 1 exserted stamen
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Pistillate flowers in fleshy more or less globose heads in which they are mixed with peltate bracts, all being fused together; style entire or 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mature syncarp (compound fruit) formed by enlargement of the entire pistillate head, when fertile thus enclosing numerous achenes each representing an individual fruit; seeds large, lacking endosperm but with fleshy cotyledons.
Distribution
A genus of 47 species indigenous to the Indo-Malayan region eastward to the Solomon Islands.
Note
The ordinary breadfruit is a seedless cultivar propagated by suckers; seeded breadfruit trees are also grown on many West Indian islands.]
[Cayman]

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A genus of about 45 species, from Indo-China, Malesia, Australia and the Solomon Islands. In New Guinea there are six native species (including one endemic) and two non-native, cultivated species. The genus Prainea, previously with a single taxon in New Guinea (Prainea limpato (Miq.) Beumée ex K.Heyne subsp. papuana (Becc.) C.C.Berg), is now included within Artocarpus as a subgenus (see Zerega et al. 2010).
Morphology General Habit
Trees and shrubs to 40 m tall
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules amplexicaul or lateral, free
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum variable, uncinate hairs sometimes present, puberulous to hispid
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate and distichous or spirally arranged, entire, pinnately lobed or divided, often very large (up to 80 cm long), often more deeply incised in juvenile stage, base equal or unequal, margin entire to subentire, sometimes with glands on the midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences unisexual and plants monoecious, solitary or paired, axillary or cauliflorous; male inflorescences spicate, cylindrical or subglobose; female inflorescences globose to subcapitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers free, perianth tubular, stamen 1; perianth of adjacent female flowers fused, perianth tubular with a narrow aperture, ovary free, stigma 1–2, equal or unequal-Infructescences with a solid outer layer, often with protuberances, inner layer fleshy, containing the fruits.
Ecology
The five native species are found in lowland, ever-wet forests, usually up to 1500 m, but sometimes reaching 2000 m.
Recognition
Artocarpus can be recognised by large (often 30 cm long, sometimes longer) leaves which are often lobed in juvenile plants, the inflorescences without conspicuous bracts, the single stamen in the male flowers and the indehiscent fruits enclosed by a fleshy inner and hard outer layer of the infructescence. The subgenera of Artocarpus in New Guinea have distinguishing characters. Subgenus Artocarpus has spirally arranged leaves and amplexicaul stipules, while subgenus Pseudojaca has distichous leaves and lateral stipules. Subgenus Prainea can be recognised by the lateral, free stipules, distichous leaves and more or less globose inflorescences, and the fruit is highly distinctive, with the red to orange fruiting perianths protruding at irregular intervals from the yellowish mass of unfertilised flowers and floral bracts.
[TONG]

Uses

Use
Two species, Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson ex F. A. Zorn) Fosberg (breadfruit) and Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit), are cultivated throughout the tropics for their edible fruits.
[Cayman]

Use
Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg, the breadfruit, has both native (seeded) and cultivated (seedless) forms, both of which may be cultivated, naturalised and wild in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The jackfruit, A. heterophyllus Lam. is also cultivated in New Guinea, but rarely naturalised.
[TONG]

Sources

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    • The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0