Jackfruit
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Family: Moraceae | Place of Origin: India
Origins and history:
Origin is not completely known but thought to be native to India’s Western Ghats rainforests.
Identification characteristics
- Height: 30’ to 70’ sometimes even 90’
- Bark: red/brown
- Leaves: Leathery, evergreen, alternate, glossy, wide and oblong to oval shape. 7 to 15 inches long and 3 to 7 inches wide
- Flower: short stout flowering twigs emerging from trunk or large branches and is monoecious
Uses and preparation
- Root: used to treat skin diseases and asthma and the extract used to treat fever and diarrhea
- Leaves: burned with corn and coconut shells to treat ulcers, or the ash is used alone or mixed with coconut oil to treat ulcers. Are also used as bandages, wrappers and plates.
- Latex: mixed with vinegar, promotes the healing of abscesses, snake bites, and glandular swellings. It is also used as a household cement for mending china and earthenware, as well as caulking boats and bucket holes.
- Wood: has a sedative property; its pith is said to produce abortion. For construction it is termite proof, resistant to fungal and bacterial decay. Pulp and seeds are nutritious, and to be useful in overcoming the influence of alcohol on the system.
- Seed starch: is used to treat nausea