Artocarpus altilis

Family: Tree of the famed "Mutiny on the Bounty" saga; belongs to the Moraceae family, which includes the Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis), Fije of the Dominica forests (F. citrifolia), and the common Fig of commerce (F. carica).

Description: One of the most handsome trees of the Tropics; is widely cultivated in Dominica; Gardens specimen is short distance south of Fish Pond; evergreen trees with milky sap, single stemmed, up to 20 m or more (62 ft); leaves up to 100 cm long (39 in) and 62 cm broad (24 in), with prominent pinnate lobes 8-23 cm long (3-9 in), a striking dark, shinny green on upper surface, lighter green below; flowers unisexual on same tree; male a light yellow catkin, 15-30 cm long (6-12 in), females born in tightly packed, prickly clusters which ultimately form the fleshy compound fruit; fruit light green, globose to ovoid and seedless, 15-23 cm long (6-9 in) and 12-18 cm in diameter (4.6-7.0 in), reportedly weighing 2-10 pounds, skin of young fruit with pyramidal projections; flesh firm and white or yellowish; 1-3 fruit at tip of branch; main crop from January to August with some fruiting the rest of the year; many varieties exist, with 31 reported in Tahiti.

Natural Habitat: Moderately rainy, moist areas of Tropics, from sea level to 1500 ft; propagated by cuttings and suckers.

Origin and Distribution: Native to Southeast Asia; especially common in South Pacific islands; is now distributed throughout the Caribbean and tropical America, and has been widely introduced elsewhere in the Tropics.