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Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics


Chapter 2 Major Fruits


Distribution: Introduced widely Into Tropics but not common outside Asia.

Cultural requirements: Hot, wet tropical lowlands with mildly acid soil high in organic matter. Not tolerant of frost, drought.

Description: Tree to 15 m. Propagation by seed, layering, grafting. Fruit production in 15 years from seed, 4-5 years from vegetative propagation. Fruit spherical or ellipsoid, in clusters of about 20 (duku 8-10); external color yellow, internal whitish.

Utilization: Aril eaten fresh, preserved, in jellies. Flavor subacid to sweet; universal appeal. High potential for wider cultivation of superior selec-tions in hot Tropics.

References: Burkill 1935, Molesworth Allen 1967.


Sandoricum koetjape Merr. (= Sandoricum indicum Gov.)
Common names: santol (English); sentul, kechapi (Southeast Asia).

Origin: Southeast Asia.

Distribution: Widely introduced into Tropics but com-mon only in Asia.

Cultural requirements: Hot, wet tropical lowlands with fertile medium-acid soil. Large trees will tolerate light frost.

Description: Large tree. Propagation by seed, layering, grafting. Flowers in April-May (Florida). Fruit matures in about 120 days. Fruit spherical, 4-8 cm in diameter; external color yellow orange, internal white.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, preserved, in jellies. Flavor sour to sweet; good selections have universal appeal. Good potential for wider cultivation of superior selections.

References: Burkill 1935, Leon 1968.


Moraceae

Artocarpus altilis Fosb. (= A. communis J. R. Forst.)
Common names: breadfruit (English); fruta de pan
(Spanish); arbre de pain (French); fruta pao (Portuguese). Seedy form called breadnut.

Origin: Southeast Asia, Polynesia.

Distribution: Pantropic.

Cultural requirements: Hot, wet tropical lowlands. Tolerant of a variety of soils if well drained. Injured by temperatures below 5° C.

Description: Tree to 30 m. Propagation by cuttings, layering (seedy form by seed). Generally two crops of fruit mature during year, varying in time and duration. Monoecious. Fruit spherical, 20-30 cm in diameter; external color greenish yellow, inte-rior whitish or pale yellow.

Fig23P37.jpg Breadfruit - Yum!

Figure 23. Breadfruit, a starchy fruit usually eaten cooked.

Utilization: Entire fruit baked, boiled, roasted, fried; preserved by fermentation. Seeds of seedy selections boiled. Flavor starchy, general appeal. Important food in hot Tropics. Good potential for wider cultivation.

References: Burkill 1935, Molesworth Allen 1967, Ochse et al. 1961.


Artocarpus Integer (Thunb.) Merr. (= A. champeden Spreng.)
Common names: chempedak (English); champedak, chepedak (Java); chubadak, kakan (Sumatra).

Origin: Southeast Asia.

Distribution: Tropical Asia.

Cultural requirements: Hot, wet tropical climate.

Description: Tree to 20 m. Propagation by seed, grafting. Fruit 20-35 cm long, 10-15 cm in diameter, 10-20 kg (sometimes more); external color yellowish to orange, internal yellow.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, preserved, cooked with various other foods. Seeds cooked. Flavor sweet, aromatic; general appeal. Important in native area. Medium potential as food crop.

References: Burkill 1935, Molesworth Allen 1967, Ochse et al. 1961.




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© MMIV - Volume 1 Number 4 Whole Number 4 Tropical Visions August 2004

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