Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Artocarpus fruit trees

Cempedak - Artocarpus champeden
Alt: Artocarpus integer
Zone G: Cempedak Hill

There are four species of the 'bread fruit' genera (Artocarpus) that are planted for posterity and production purposes at the park.  The most unique among them to me is the 'Ong Lumok' (Bintulu Melanau) which is also called as 'Terap' in Malay.  Others in the line up are the 'Cempedak' (Artocarpus integer), 'Nangka' or Jackruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and the 'Sukun' or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis).  Artocarpus belong to the fig family (Moraceae).  The genus 'Artocarpus' is named after the Greek word; artos = bread, karpos = fruit.  For many people of the Pacific islands the popularity of the breadfruit as the 'staff of life' has been recognised over generations being their staple food, like rice for orientals.    Artocarpus trees tend to be cauliflory whereby  many in the genus bear flowers and fruits on trunks or branches.  All Artocarpus trees have a  peculiar form of flower head which resembles a bur on a stalk.  This structure bears flowers so small that they have to be dissected under a microscope.  For more images of Sarawak's unique fruits, check them out in another blog of mine here ...>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/p/unique-fruits.html

Ong Lumok - Artocarpus odoratissimus
Nangka - Artocarpus heterophyllus
Leaves of the Sukun or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

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