Fruit of either of two closely related trees belonging to the mulberry family. Artocarpus communis (also called A. incisa or A. altilis) provides a staple food of the South Pacific. Its greenish to brownish-green, round fruits have a white, fibrous pulp. Treculia africana, native to tropical Africa, is less important as a food crop. Cultivated in the Malay Archipelago (where it is thought to be indigenous) since remote antiquity, the breadfruit was spread throughout the tropical South Pacific in prehistoric times. It is high in starch and is seldom eaten raw. Unable to tolerate frost, the tree has not been successfully grown in the U.S., even in southernmost Florida. In the South Seas, cloth is made from the inner bark, the wood is used for canoes and furniture, and glue and caulking material are obtained from the milky juice.
Learn more about breadfruit with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
