This species is closely related to the breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and has in the past been treated as synonymous with that species. There is some evidence of hybridization between the two species[, ].

Common Name:

General Information

Artocarpus mariannensis is a evergreen tree with a dense, spreading canopy, growing up to 20 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole has buttressed roots and is usually clear of branches for 5 metres or more[].
Closely related to the breadfruit, this species is a staple fruit for the people within its native range, providing seeds, fruits and gum. A true multipurpose tree, it also has various medicinal uses and provides several commodities. An excellent agroforestry species, being used to stabilize and enrich soils and provide shelter for other crops to grow.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Pacific - Palau.

Habitat

Found in tall native-canopy forest and secondary forest, in coral limestone and volcanic islands with steep slopes and ridges and ravine forests from coastal to lower mountain slopes[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland tropical areas, usually found at elevations below 150 metres[]. It grows best in areas where the mean maximum temperature of hottest month is 29 - 31°c and of the coolest month 16 - 18°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,300 - 3,800mm[].
Older plants grow well in a sunny position, but young plants require some shade, with seedlings requiring 20 - 50% shade[]. Prefers a light, well drained, and volcanic and shallow calcareous soil, either sandy, sandy loams or loams, with a pH in the range 6.1 - 7.4[]. The plant tolerates saline and coralline soils and atolls[]. Established plants can tolerate drought for a few months[].
Trees can begin fruiting when about 5 years old[].
The flowers require cross-pollination for seeds to be produced, but unpollinated flowers will still produce a fruit[].
The tree is shallow-rooted[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The deep yellow pulp has a sweet aroma and taste[]. The very ripe fruits can be eaten raw, but they, and the immature fruits, are more commonly roasted or baked[]. Very nutritious[]. The fruit is a small fleshy syncarp, cylindrical, kidney shaped or asymmetrical, about 15cm long and weighing about 500g[].

Seed - cooked[]. The roasted seed has a flavour much like a chestnut[]. Cooked sprouted seeds are a delicacy on some atolls[]. The seeds are high in protein, carbohydrates, low in fat, and a good source of minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin A[]. The large, dark brown, shiny seeds are about 15mm long, with little or no endosperm. There are up to 15 seeds per fruit[].

The latex obtained from the shoots and trunk can be used to make a chewing gum[].

Medicinal

All parts of the plant are used medicinally, especially the latex, leaf tips, and inner bark[].

The diluted latex is taken internally to treat diarrhoea, stomach-aches, and dysentery[].
Applied externally, the latex is commonly used to treat skin ailments and fungus diseases such as thrush[]. It is massaged into the skin to treat broken bones and sprains and is plastered on the spine to relieve sciatica[].

The crushed leaves are commonly used as a poultice to treat skin ailments and fungus diseases such as thrush[].

The sap from the crushed petioles (leaf stalks) is used to treat ear infections or sore eyes[].

The root is astringent and used as a purgative[]. When macerated, it is used as a poultice for skin ailments[].

The bark is used to treat headaches[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant naturally occurs on steep ridges, cliffs, and shallow calcareous soils where it acts as a soil stabilizer[].
It can be inter-planted with a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops such as yam, banana, coconut, taro, papaya, sugarcane, arrowroot, beach hibiscus, Indian mulberry, citrus, soursop, medicinal plants, aroids, ginger and noni, amongst others[].
The leaves provide abundant mulch for the tree and other plants growing beneath the canopy[].
It is an ideal tree for home gardens on atolls because of its adaptability to calcareous soils and saline conditions and especially for the beneficial shade it produces. The tree can also be used as a trellis for yam[].

Other Uses

A sticky white latex is present in all parts of the tree[]. It is used as a chewing gum, an adhesive, and to caulk canoes[].

A fibre is obtained from the inner bark. It is used to make strong cordage used for fishing[]. The inner bark was formerly used to make bark cloth (tapa). Sections of the bark were hammered flat with a wooden mallet onto a wooden surface. The more the bark was beaten, the finer the cloth that was made[].

Dried male flowers can be burned to repel mosquitoes and other flying insects[].

The flexible leaves are used to wrap foods for cooking in earth ovens, and as plates[].

The wood is light in weight, flexible, easy to work[]. It is used to make small canoes, carve into statues, bowls,
fishing floats, and other objects, although the wood needs to be protected from direct sunlight[]. Trunks of larger trees are used to make dug-out canoes[].
The wood is fast burning, but generally older, less productive trees are used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a very short viability and should be sown as soon as it is ripe[]. Plant out the seedlings when 125cm tall[].

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