This document provides information on the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis), including its taxonomy, origins, distribution, importance as a food crop, varieties, and conservation efforts. It describes breadfruit's nutritional value and various uses. Key points include that breadfruit is native to New Guinea and western Micronesia, was spread throughout the Pacific by humans, and its introduction to the Caribbean was led by Captain Bligh in the late 18th century. Over 100 varieties have been identified. Conservation programs aim to preserve breadfruit diversity and habitats for threatened endemic species.

1. 11906966 – NANGUNURI VARUN KUMAR
11908590 – D V SRAVANI
MSC HORTICULTURE (FRUIT SCIENCE)
LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY (PUNJAB) 2021

2. BREADFRUIT

3. INTRODUCTION
• Artocarpus altilis, tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) & its large fruits that are a staple food of
the South Pacific Islands.
• It is now widely distributed & used throughout the tropics.
• The discovery of breadfruit by westerners & subsequent distribution of breadfruit & breadnut in
the 18th to 20th centuries are discussed.
• The scientific name, Artocarpus altilis, is derived from the Greek, with artos meaning bread,
carpus meaning fruit & altilis originating from the word utile, meaning useful & has memorialized
it as the tree which produces fruits like bread.
• Breadfruit derives its name from the fact that the fruits, when baked or roasted, have a satisfying,
aromatic smell, starchy & dense consistency similar to bread or root crops such as potatoes, yams
or sweet potatoes.

4. IMPORTANCE AND NUTRITION REQUIREMENT
• Breadfruit contains considerable amounts of starch & is seldom eaten raw.
• It may be roasted, baked, boiled, fried or dried and ground into flour.
• In the South seas, cloth is made from the fibrous inner bark, the wood is used for canoes, furniture,
glue & caulking material are obtained from the milky way.
• Chemical constituents of breadfruit has isolated several classes of compounds such as various
triterpenes & flavonoids.
• Artocarpus is a rich source of prenylated phenolic compounds such as geranylated flavones,
flavonoids from breadfruit have anti-inflammatory activities & are able to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase
of cultured mastocytoma cells, cathepsin k & 5 alpha –reductase.
• It generally has little commercial use but is becoming an export crop in the Caribbean.

5. • Breadfruit is consumed primarily for its
nutritional benefits and as a major source of
carbohydrates.
• The fruits & seeds are good source of
carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, fatty
acids, pro-vitamin A, potassium & Ca with
significant amounts of ascorbic acid, niacin &
iron.
• Breadfruit from its hidden identity into a crop
that enhances livelihoods. Breadfruit is an
important source of significant nutrients and
palatable foods.

6. TAXANOMIC CLASSIFICATION
Domain : Eukaryota
Kingdom : Plantae
Phylum : Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class : Dicotyledonae
Order : Urticales
Family : Moraceae
Genus : Artocarpus
Species : Artocarpus altilis

7. ORIGIN & DISTRIBUTION
• Breadfruit is an ancient domesticated cultigen & its origin, domestication & distribution
must be considered with in a geographic & cultural context.
• It was first domesticated in the Western Pacific & spread by humans throughout the region
beginning 3600 yrs. ago.
• The breadfruit is believed to be native to a vast area extending from New Guinea through
the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to western Micronesia.
• The Bismarck Archipelago being the Centre of diversity for wild seeded forms of
Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg.
• Few-seeded and seedless forms occur throughout the Pacific Islands, with the greatest
diversity found in the eastern Pacific in Polynesia. Seedless breadfruit has been widely
distributed throughout the tropical world.
• Propagating by seeds is not popular, as seeds lose viability quickly & the germination
percentage is low.

8. • A related, seeded species known as Breadnut, Artocarpus camansi Blanco, naturally occurs in the
Philippines, new guinea and possibly the Moluccas. It is rarely seen elsewhere in the Pacific
islands with the exception of a few recently introduced trees in the South Pacific.
• Breadnut has been introduced to other tropical areas where it is now widespread, especially in the
Caribbean, parts of Central and South America, and Coastal West Africa. It remains to be
determined whether to consider breadfruit as a single, variable species, A. altilis, which includes
breadnut, or retain A. camansi as a distinct species.
• Another related species, seeded Artocarpus mariannensis Trécul, is endemic to Belau and the
Mariana islands in the western north pacific. This species has been involved in introgression with
A. altilis in Micronesia, and numerous seeded and seedless hybrid forms are cultivated throughout
these islands.
• The wild seeded ancestral form of breadfruit, Artocarpus camansi Blanco, or breadnut, is native to
new guinea & possibly the Moluccas (Indonesia) & Philippines. Breadfruit, both seeded & seedless
forms, doesn’t naturally occur in the pacific islands although long abandoned plantings are
sometimes mistaken for wild trees.

10. HISTORY
• The Breadfruit has been cultivated in the Malay Archipelago (where the species is held to be
indigenous) since remote antiquity. From this region it spread throughout the tropical South Pacific
region in prehistoric times.
• Its introduction into the new world was connected with the memorable voyage of Capt. William
Bligh in HMS Bounty, a voyage recommended by Capt. James Cook, who had seen the breadfruit
in the Pacific Islands & considered that it would prove highly useful as a food stuff for slaves in the
west indies.
• Numerous varieties are cultivated in the Pacific Islands, but many of these have not been
introduced to tropical America.
• In 1787, Capt. Bligh left England on the HMS Bounty and reached Tahiti in 1788 to collect plants.
In 1789, left Tahiti on his voyage to the WI with 1015 breadfruit plants. Mutiny on the bounty led
to the overpowering of Capt. Bligh.
• In 1791, the voyage was made again in the HMS providence and this time it was successful. In
1792, Capt. Bligh and his crew introduced breadfruit plants to St. Vincent. In 1793 seedlings were
introduced into Jamaica.

11. • In 1973 Capt. Bligh successfully completed his mission by introducing more than 600 plants of
several seedless Tahitian cultivars to the islands of St. Vincent & Jamaica.
• Most of the breadfruit in the Caribbean today originated from those plants.
• During this period the British & French also distributed breadfruit to Mauritius, the Maldives,
Indonesia & Sri Lanka.
• In the 19th & early 20th century breadfruit was widely distributed throughout the tropical countries
of the world: Central & South America, India, South-east Asia, northern Australia, Africa &
Madagascar.
• However, its popularity & use vary greatly by locale.

12. VERNACULAR NAMES OF A. altilis
Breadfruit - (English),
Arbre à pain - (French),
Arboldel pan - (Spanish),
Brotfruchtbaum - (German),
Rimas - (Philippines),
Sukun /Timbul - (Indonesia),
Kulur/Kuro - (Malaysia),
Kapiak - ( New Guinea),
Uto /Kulu - (Fiji),
Bia /Nimbal - (Solomon Islands),
Beta - (Vanuatu),
Ulu - (Hawaii, Samoa),
Uru - (Tahiti and Society Islands),
kuru (Cook Islands), Mei/Mai - (Micronesia, Tonga, Marquesas),
Lemai - (Mariana Islands) and Mos (Kosrae).

14. VARIETIES
• An unpublished report of 1921 covered 200 cultivars of breadfruit in the Marquesas. The South
Pacific Commission published the results of a breadfruit survey in 1966. In it, there were
described 166 named sorts from Tonga, Niue, Western and American Samoa, Papua and New
Guinea, New Hebrides and Rotuma.
• There are 70 named varieties of seeded and seedless breadfruits in Fiji. They are locally separated
into 8 classes by leaf form.
• P.J. Wester, in 1928, published descriptions of 52 breadfruit cultivars of the Pacific Islands.
• One 'Aata', an oblong fruit, is described as of poor quality and eaten by humans only when better
breadfruits are scarce, but it is important as feed for pigs and horses. The tree bears heavily.

15. • There are at least 50 cultivars on Ponape and
about the same number on Truk. In Samoa, a
variety known as ‘Maopo', with leaves that
are almost entire or sometimes very shallowly
lobed, is very common and considered one of
the best.
• ‘Puou' is another choice and much planted
variety since early times. It has deeply cut
leaves and nearly round fruits 6 in (15 cm)
long. 'ulu ea.', with leaves even more deeply
lobed, has oblong fruits to 6 1/8 in (15.5
cm)long and 5 in (12.5 cm) wide; is a
longtime favorite.

16. Koroieveibau provides a key to the 8 classes illustrated by leaf and fruit outline
sketches.
CLASS LEAF FORM VARIETIES
CLASS I Leaf entire, or with one or two, occasionally, 3 lobes Koqo, Tamaikora
CLASS II Leaf dissected at apex Temaipo
CLASS III Leaf moderately deeply dissected at apex Uto Kuro,
CLASS IV Leaf moderately deeply dissected on upper half Samoa, Uto Yalewa, Kulu Dina,
Sogasoga, Uto Dina, Buco Ni Viti
CLASS V Leaf moderately deeply dissected, shape of leaf base
variable
Balekana Dina, Sici Ni Samoa, Uto
Dina, Balekana Ni Samoa, Uto Me
CLASS VI Leaf deeply dissected Kulu Dina, Balekana, Uto Matala,
Balekana Ni Viti
CLASS VII Leaf deeply dissected, apex pointed Kulu Dina, Uto Dina, Bokasi,
Balekana Ni Samoa
CLASS VIII Leaf deeply dissected, wide spaces between lobes Savisavi Ni Samoa, Balawa Ni Viti,
Savisavi Ni Viti, Uto Kasekasei

17. VARIETIES FRUIT SHAPE CORE TYPE
Aravei Ellipsoidal Long, slim, with many abortive seeds
Havana Oval - round Oval, large, with a row of abortive seeds
Maohi Round Large, tree is heavy bearer, most common breadfruit
of Tahiti
Paea Ellipsoidal Oblong, thick, with a row of brown, abortive seeds,
reserved for chiefs only
Pei Broad - ellipsoidal Large, fruity flavour
Pucro Spherical or elongated 2 oblong forms, one with a large, hairy core
Rare Broad - ovoid Small with a great many small abortive seeds. There
are 3 forms that are well recognized
Rare Aumee Round Smooth
Rare Autia Round Large with small abortive seeds are all around
Tatara Broad - ellipsoid Oblong, greatly esteemed
Vai Paere Obovoid Oblong, large, with a few abortive seeds attached

18. SPECIES

19. BREADFRUIT SPECIES
 Three related species - Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg, Artocarpus camansi Blanco,
and Artocarpus mariannensis Trécul make up what is known as the “breadfruit complex.”
They are members of the Moraceae family.
 The nutritious fruit and seeds of all three species are edible. The multipurpose trees are easy to
grow, beneficial to the environment, and produce an abundance of nutritious, tasty fruit.
 They also provide construction materials, medicine, fabric, glue, insect repellent, animal feed,
and more. The trees begin bearing in 3 to 5 years and are productive for many decades.
 This ‘tree of bread’ has the potential to play a significant role in alleviating hunger in the
tropics.
Artocarpus altilis is diploid (2n = 56) and triploid (2n = 84) ( Barrau 1976; Jarrett
1959; Ragone 1991). The chromosome number for A. mariannensis and for A. camansi
is 2n = 56 (Ragone 1991).

20. BREADFRUIT : Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg
Leaves broadly obovate to broadly ovate, almost
entire with only slight lobing to deeply pinnately
lobed with sinuses from 2/3 to 4/5 of the distance
from margin to midrib, or deeper; blade generally
smooth with few to many pale to reddish hairs,
especially on the midrib and veins.
 Fruits globose to oblong, skin light green,
yellowish-green or yellow, flesh creamy white or
pale yellow; surface smooth to slightly bumpy or
spiny with individual disks ranging from areolate, to
slightly raised and flattened, to widely conical up to
3 mm high and 5mm across at the base, to narrowly
conical up to 5 mm long. Seedless, with some forms
seeded.

21. BREADNUT : Artocarpus camansi Blanco
o Leaves pinnately lobed with sinuses cut halfway to
the midrib; densely pubescent on upper and lower
surfaces, midribs and veins.
o Fruits oblong, light green with white flesh; spiny with
flexible, elongated sections 5-12 mm long. Seeded.

22. DUGDUG OR CHEBIEI : Artocarpus mariannensis Trecul
o Leaves broadly obovate to broadly elliptic;
entire or a few lobes mostly in the distal
third or half of the leaf; sinuses cut less than
half way to the midrib; blade smooth;
midrib and veins on the underside covered
with dense, appressed reddish hairs.
o Fruits cylindrical or asymmetrical, skin dark
green, flesh dark yellow; perianth disks
conical when immature, flattened on top
when mature. Seeded.

23. CONSERVATION
MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF ALL TROPICAL PLANTS ARE
THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION.
 Hawai’i and the greater Pacific region are considered hot spots of biodiversity and also of
extinction. The Conservation Program at National Tropical Botanical Garden is focused on
protecting and conserving tropical plants in Hawai’i and tropical regions across the globe.
 Because of their geographically isolated locations, the plant species that evolved in
Hawai’i and many other tropical areas over millions of years are highly endemic(found
only in one location).
 In Hawai’i, nearly 1,300 endemic species have been described. Of these, more than 100
today are considered to be extinct, with an additional 273 classified by Federal standards
as Threatened and Endangered, and 85 as Candidate species.
 The situation is similar throughout the Pacific and in many other tropical regions. The
underlying cause of the decline of endemic plant species is destruction of their habitat and
the introduction of alien invasive species by human beings.

24. PRESERVES
NTBG preserves provide a safe haven for endemic species
threatened by invasive plants and animals and real estate
development. NTBG staff works to; improve habitats
within our preserves; by restoring the ecologies that sustain
and protect native plant communities.
Preserves are also a resource for NTBG staff to develop and
test conservation protocols in a range of ecosystems beyond
those that exist in the gardens.
Some of the preserves named here are:
1. Limahuli preserve
2. Kahanu preserve
3. Kaupulehu preserve
4. Awini preserve

25. GERMPLASM REPOSITORY
• The NTBG breadfruit germplasm repository provides unique opportunities to study and better
understand this important staple crop. Their research is directed at conserving breadfruit diversity,
identifying nutrient-rich, productive cultivars for food security, agroforestry, regenerative
agriculture, reforestation, and economic development, conducting foundational studies to support
product development, ethnobotany, and more.

26. PLANT EXTINCTION PREVENTION PROGRAM
 NTBG partners with the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) to help conserve the rarest
plants, those with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. Nearly 240 Hawaiian plant
species have fewer than 50 wild individuals remaining.
 Collecting propagules for long term storage, research, propagation and out planting, protecting
wild plants, surveying for new plants, and monitoring populations are the primary activities
mandated by PEPP. NTBG biologists assist PEPP in these activities.
 Many of the collections made by PEPP on Kauai are propagated at NTBG’s Conservation and
Horticulture Center and established ex situ in NTBG gardens. Many seeds of these rare species
are stored in our Seed Bank and Laboratory.