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Breadfruit Database
Ma'afala
Artocarpus altilis
Geographic Distribution
Region: Polynesia | Country: Samoa | Collection Site: Upolu Island
Distribution: Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Cook Islands, Niue, Hawai'i, Global
Plant Characteristics
Fruit
Shape: Oval, Irregular
Skin Texture: Sandpapery
Flesh Color: Creamy, Light yellow
Weight (g): 789 avg (634 min - 1053 max)
Edible Portion (%): 82 avg (80 min - 84 max)
Length (cm): 14 avg (12 min - 16 max)
Width (cm): 11 avg (10 min - 13 max)
Core Length (cm): 9 avg (8 min - 11 max)
Core Width (cm): 3 avg (3 min - 4 max)
Seeds: Seeded - Few
Leaves
Length (cm): 36 avg (24 min - 48 max)
Width (cm): 30 avg (20 min - 40 max)
Lateral Lobe Count: 8 avg (6 min - 11 max)
Male flowers
Length (cm): 11 avg (8 min - 19 max)
Width (cm): 2 avg (2 min - 3 max)
Notes:
Collected in Samoa at the Nafanua Agriculture Station on Upolu Island. At the time of collection, along with Puou, Ma'afala was one of the most commonly grown and popular cultivars in Samoa and Tonga. It is also grown in Niue, the Cook Islands, and Hawai'i. Since 2010, it has been distributed globally.
Collected By Whistler, W.A.
Herbarium Specimens
Field Collected
Collection Site
Map shows a generalized GPS point based on collection site location; exact origin may differ.
Geographical Information
Geographical information associated with living collections accessions at botanical gardens includes details on the native origin, collection site, and habitat of each plant. This data helps track the genetic diversity, ecological preferences, and conservation status of species. Accurate geographical records support research, restoration efforts, and the cultivation of plants in environments similar to their natural habitats.
Morphological Measurements
Measurements were taken 10 times for each tree or group of trees of a particular variety, using 10 individual fruits, male flowers, and leaves, respectively (Ragone & Wiseman, 2007). The following were selected for measurement:
Leaves: The third fully expanded leaf from the tip of a mature branch.
Fruit: Mature, firm, but not yet ripe fruit.
Male Flowers: Fully emerged male flowers.
Seasonality
Over a 10-year period, fruiting seasonality was observed in the breadfruit collections at Kahanu Garden (Maui) and McBryde Garden (Kaua‘i) within the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (Liu et al., 2014). Tree canopies were visually examined for the presence of full-sized, mature, and ripe fruit.
Full-sized fruit: Fruit at maximum size but not yet mature.
Mature fruit: Fruit displaying distinctive characteristics of maturation.
Ripe fruit: Fruit that were soft and ripe on the tree.
References
Jones, A. M. P., Murch, S. J., Wiseman, J., & Ragone, D. (2013). Morphological diversity in breadfruit (Artocarpus, Moraceae): Insights into domestication, conservation, and cultivar identification. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 60(1), 175–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-012-9824-8
Liu, Y., Jones, A. M. P., Murch, S. J., & Ragone, D. (2014). Crop productivity, yield and seasonality of breadfruit (Artocarpus spp., Moraceae). Fruits, 69(5), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1051/fruits/2014023
Ragone, D. & Wiseman, J. (2007). Developing and Applying Descriptors For Breadfruit Germplasms. Acta Hortic, 757, 71–80. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.757.8