Jackfruit

The jackfruit or jakfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a fruit tree in the mulberry family of Moraceae. Native to India, the species was first described under the name Artocarpus heterophyllus in Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique in 1789 by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, based on a specimen collected by botanist Philibert Commerson. The jackfruit tree is a large evergreen tree that can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) tall. It has a dense foliage with leathery leaves which are smooth on one side and rough on the other. Fine hairs cover various parts of the tree, and the bark and leaves produce a sticky, milky sap. The tree is monoecious and produces an inflorescence consisting of cluster of small, pale green flowers from the trunk and large branches. The tree produces the largest of all tree-borne fruits, measuring up to 90 cm (35 in) in length and 50 cm (20 in) in width and weighing up to 50 kg (110 lb). The yellowish-green fruit has a thick shell with numerous tubercles and emits a characteristic odour on ripening. The interior of the fruit consists of several yellow coloured fleshy bulbs each of which encloses a single seed. The jackfruit tree might have originated in the Western Ghats range in India. In addition to the various countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, where it is extensively grown, it has also been introduced across parts of Africa, Americas, and Oceania. Though it grows on a variety of habitats at low altitude, it prefers moist, well-drained soils and sufficient sunlight. The tree matures and may start bearing fruits anywhere between 4 and 14 years and can have a productive lifespan of more than a hundred years. The fruit bulbs and seeds are edible, and can be eaten raw. It is also sold canned or frozen, or...