Artocarpus mariannensis Trecul
Family: Moraceae
Artocarpus mariannensis image
National Tropical Botanical Garden  
Indigenous, Tree.

Trees similar to A. incisus; but the leaves smaller, 10-30 cm long, half as wide, broadly obovate to broadly elliptic, acute to acuminate, entire to variously lobed in the upper part, but cutting usually not more than halfway to midrib, usually less, and often some leaves quite entire; base cuneata; petiole to 4.5 cm long, usually half this length; upper surface glabrous and somewhat shiny, lower surface with brown hairs on the veins and midrib; staminate spike to about 8-10 cm long; fruit rather small, shortly cylindric; usually with several large see, and somewhat scanty pulp. Barrigada Hill (3934); NCS beach road (5132). (Endemic). Common throughout the limestone regions of Guam wherever some forest remains, sometimes also cultivated in villages, but extensively hybridizing (as the female parent) with the "lemae", Artocarpus incisus; consequent many trees appear intermediate between the two species, with recombinations 0f the distinguishing features (e.g. trees with entire, yet glabrous leaves; trees jth deeply lobed, yet glabrous leaves; trees with puberulent, lobed leaves, yet foducine seedless fruits; trees with glabrous, lobed leaves, yet producing seeded fruits; etc.). For a full discussion of this interesting problem, the paper on "Introgression in Artocarpusin Micronesia" by Dr. F.R. Fosberg, in Brittonia 12(2): 101-113. 1960, should be read. It should be mentioned that probable hybrids also occur elsewhere in Micronesia, indicating the activities of man. Quite possibly the early Truk-Guam seagoing canoes carried back and forth cuttings, and seeded fruits, of various breadfruits, assuring on this way the dispersal of both the species or at least some of their genes via hybrids. A further caution in regard to breadfruits is the prior reporting of such species as A. integer or A. integrifolia; such records may well be based on A. mariannensis. I have found the cooked seeds of this wild species to be particularly tasty.