''Artocarpus hirsutus'', commonly known as wild jack, is a tropical evergreen tree species that is native to

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, primarily in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, but also in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

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and

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, where it prefers moist, deciduous to partially evergreen woodlands. The Artocarpus hirsutus grows in altitudes ranging from sea level to an elevation of 1000 m in places with an annual rainfall of 1500 mm or more. They are endemic to the Western Ghats and are found in its

evergreen forests An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zon ...

. The canopy tree can reach a height of up to 35 m and about 4.5 m in girth. The tree is prized for its durable timber which is comparable in quality with teak. The timber was used extensively in the construction of ceilings, door frames and furniture in older buildings, especially in Kerala. The famous

snake boat Chundan vallam ('beaked boat'), known outside Kerala as Kerala snake boats, are one of the icons of Kerala culture used in the Vallamkali or boat race. Naval architecture Constructed according to specifications taken from the '' Sthapatya ...

s of Kerala are often hewn out of the Aini's wood. 140 tons of A. hisutus wood from

was used for

Tim Severin Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder's Medal ...

's ship Sohar, in which he traveled from

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

to Canton in 1980-81.

Description

The leaves of this tree are simple and phyllotaxy is alternate. The shape can be described as elliptic or ovate with 10-25 × 5-14 cm size. When it is young it is densely hirsute beneath. The apex of leaf is sub-acute or shortly acuminate, base is rounded or sub-acute, and margins undulate. Ten to twelve pairs of secondary nerves can be visible and the length of petiole is about 1.5-3 cm. Its

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are

unisexual Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, in axillary

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s and its

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s are syncarps and very sweet, changing to an orange hue when ripe. Its simple, alternate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

will ooze

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

if broken. It is harvested for its

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

Fruit

The ripe fruit of ''A. hirsutus'' is eaten after removing the spiny outer skin. The structure of the fruit is similar to that of the much larger

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

. The seeds are also edible, usually fried as a snack.

Distribution

It is a common tree in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests from South Maharashtra to Kanyakumari

Diseases

The important diseases of ''Artocarpus hirsutus'' reported from Southern part of India (Kerala state) are Pink disease (''

Corticium salmonicolor ''Erythricium salmonicolor'' is a species of fungus in the family Corticiaceae. Basidiocarps are effused, corticioid, smooth, and pinkish and grow on wood. The fungus is a commercially significant plant pathogen which has become a serious probl ...

'') & Macrophomina leaf spot (''

Macrophomina phaseolina ''Macrophomina phaseolina'' is a Botryosphaeriaceae plant pathogen fungus that causes damping off, seedling blight, collar rot, stem rot, charcoal rot, basal stem rot, and root rot on many plant species. Hosts, symptoms, and signs One of the ...

'').

In Culture

This tree , locally called anjili in Kerala is used to make

Palliyodam Palliyodam is a type of large snake boat built and used by Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple in the Pathanamthitta district for the annual water processions of Uthrattathi Jalamela and Valla Sadhya in Pamba River. Legend According to the legend ...

, a type of large built and used by

Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple The Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple is a Hindu temple located near Aranmula, a village in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, South India. It is dedicated to the God Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, who is worshipped as Parthasarathy (Arjuna's chariotee ...

in Kerala for the annual water processions of Uthrattathi Jalamela and

Valla Sadhya Valla Sadya is a celebration in the Hindu temple at Aranmula, Kerala, India. During the festival, the village conducts a snake boat race in the Pampa River, and there is a feast at the temple. The Valla Sadhya is conducted on Ashtamirohoni day. ...

Gallery

File:Artocarpus hirsutus immature fruits from Tuvvur, Kerala, India.JPG, Unripe fruit File:Artocarpus hirsutus fruit.jpg, Ripe fruit File:Artocarpus hirsutus fungal infection.JPG, Trunk with fungal infection

References

External links

Thinned saplingsFruit with foliage
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3595140 hirsutus Plants described in 1789 Flora of India (region)