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Breadfruit
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Breadfruit
ntroduced Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Breadfruit • Hindi: bakri-chajhar • Marathi: नीरफणस nirphanas, विलायती फणस vilayati phanas • Tamil: ஈரப்பலா irppla, kadapila • Kannada: ಜೀಗುಜ್ಜೆ Jeegujje, ದೀವಿಹಲಸು Deevi halasu, ರೊಟ್ಟಿಹಲಸು Rotti halasu ಗುಜ್ಜುಹಲಸು Gujju halasu ಸೀಮೆಹಲಸು Seeme halasu • Konkani: जिवी कडगी jivi kadgi • Sanskrit: नागदामिनी nagadamani
Botanical name: Artocarpus altilis    Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)

Breadfruit is a tree and fruit native to the Malay Peninsula and western Pacific islands. Breadfruit trees grow to a height of 20 m. The large and thick leaves are deeply cut into pinnate lobes. All parts of the tree yield latex, a milky juice. The trees are monoecious, with male and female flowers growing on the same tree. The male flowers emerge first, followed shortly afterwards by the female flowers, growing into a capitulum. These can be pollinated three days later. The pollinators are fruit bats. The compound, false fruit develops from the swollen perianth and originates from 1,500-2,000 flowers. These are visible on the skin of the fruit as hexagon-like disks. When fully ripe the fruit is cream colored and fragrant on the inside. The mature fruits are high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. They are also a good source of B vitamins.

Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed in Maharashtra.

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