Pedalai, Terap bulu, Gumihan
Artocarpus sericicarpus
Family: Moraceae
What it is like
A large tree. It grows up to 40 m tall. It has a trunk 60 to 90 cm across. The leaves are dark green. The leaves are alternate and crowded. Young leaves are lobed but older leaves are entire. They are blunt in form at both ends. The larger leaves are 20 to 30 cm wide and 60 to 90 cm long. The male flower spikes are like a cylinder and soft and spongy and yellow. The female flower heads are rounded. The fruit are heavy and 10-15 cm or more long. The fruit is covered with soft spines. These are covered with brownish hairy processes. (Like a rambutan.) The fruit is a bright orange. The seeds are in a white gummy pulp. The pulp is edible. The seeds are edible.
There are about 50 Artocarpus species. They are in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and the Pacific.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It suits fertile soils which have been formed by rivers. It is in evergreen forests up to 500 m altitude. They are found in Quezon, Bicol, Surigao and Davao both cultivated and wild in the Philippines. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pacific, Philippines, Sarawak, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The fleshy portion of the fruit is eaten raw. The seeds are roasted and eaten. They have a tart nutty flavour like peanuts.
Fruit are sold in markets. It is a cultivated food plant.
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. Seed normally germinate immediately when fresh. They cannot be dried out.
The tree grows rapidly.
Its other names
Local names
Pohon terap bulu, Pohon pedalai