Marianas breadfruit
Artocarpus mariannensis
Family: Moraceae
What it is like
A large tree. It can grow 20 m high. It can hybridise with breadfruit. The trunk can be 2 m across. The trunk can be 5 m tall before branching. The tree has white latex. The bark is smooth and brownish grey. The crown is round, spreading and evergreen. The leaves are broadly oval and 15-30 cm long. They can have 3 lobes. The fruit is fleshy and 15 cm long. The fruit are bent or kidney shaped. The fruit have up to 15 large seeds. They are edible.
There are about 50 Artocarpus species. They are in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and the Pacific.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 150 m altitude. It does best with a rainfall or 1300-3800 mm. It is often on raised coral soils. It is common on atolls. It grows between 10° south and 20° north in the Pacific. It grows from sea level to 150 m altitude. It tolerates salty soils. It needs a pH between 6.1 and 7.4. It cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. It has salt tolerance.
Countries/locations it is found in
Chuuk, Cook Is., Fiji, FSM, Guam, Kiribati, Kosrae, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Pacific, Palau, Pohnpei, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Yap
How it is used for food
The fruit are roasted or baked. The seeds are also eaten cooked. The seeds are sprouted and eaten cooked.
It is an important food on atoll islands.
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds, sprouts
How it is grown
Plats are grown from seeds. Seeds need to be sown fresh. They germinate immediately. The seed cannot be stored.
It is reasonably fast growing. It can yield 50 kg of fruit per tree per year. A fruit can weigh about 500 g.
Its other names
Local names
'ulu Elihe, Dokdok, Dugdug, Chebiei, Ebiei meduuliou, Maiyah, Meduuliei, Mei chocho, Mei kole, Mejwaan, Te mai, Ulu elihe, Ulu elise