Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.
| Kannada Name : | Halasu mara |
| Common Name : | Jack fruit |
| Family Name : | Moraceae |
| Scientific Name : | Artocarpus heterophyllus |
| Species Type : | Endemic |
| Phenology : | Evergreen |
| Conservation Status : | Not known |
| Flowering Period : | March - April |
| Fruiting Period : | June - August |
| Origin : | Western ghats of India |
Uses
The golden yellow timber with good grain is used for building furniture and house construction. It is termite-resistant and is superior to teak for building furniture. The wood is also used for manufacturing musical instruments. The pulp of young fruit is cooked as a vegetable, pickled or canned in brine or curry. Pulp of ripe fruit is eaten fresh or made into various local delicacies. The sap is an anti-syphilitic and a vermifuge.
Description
Evergreen tree, 10 – 20 m tall, blackish- grey bark. All parts contain a sticky, white latex. Leaves simple, spirally arranged, elliptic to obovate, lobed leaves in saplings, coriaceous, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse, entire. Male inflorescence axillary or terminal catkins, female inflorescence catkins, borne on main trunk and old branches, flowers unisexual, minute, yellowish green in colour and enclosed in spathe like bracts. Fruit a sorosis, globose with tubercles, fleshy yellow to orange pulp. Seeds glossy.
