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Breadfruit Database
Puou
Artocarpus altilis
Geographic Distribution
Region: Melanesia, Polynesia | Country: Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji | Collection Site: Upolu Island; Tongatapu; Atiu; Efate; Viti Levu
Distribution: Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Hawai'i
Plant Characteristics
Fruit
Shape: Spherical, Broad Ovoid, Oval, Ellipsoid, Heart-shaped, Irregular
Skin Texture: Irregularly raised with flattened sections, Flattened pebbly
Flesh Color: Creamy, Light yellow, Yellow
Weight (g): 1766 avg (732 min - 2462 max)
Edible Portion (%): 78 avg (71 min - 85 max)
Length (cm): 17 avg (13 min - 22 max)
Width (cm): 16 avg (11 min - 19 max)
Core Length (cm): 11 avg (7 min - 17 max)
Core Width (cm): 5 avg (3 min - 7 max)
Seeds: Seeded - Few
Leaves
Length (cm): 45 avg (31 min - 61 max)
Width (cm): 34 avg (18 min - 48 max)
Lateral Lobe Count: 9 avg (6 min - 12 max)
Male flowers
Length (cm): 22 avg (13 min - 33 max)
Width (cm): 3 avg (2 min - 4 max)
Notes:
Collected in Fiji on Viti Levu Island in Namautimaoa Village. It was also collected in Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, where it was introduced from Wallis Island, Micronesia. It is thought to have been introduced to the Cook Islands from Tahiti in the 1930s. This cultivar is considered a popular, low-bearing, productive variety that cooks quickly and produces numerous root suckers. In Samoa, it is one of the most commonly grown cultivars and is considered one of the best. It is believed to be an old form.
Collected By Whistler, W.A., Pomelile, Manu, Diane Ragone
Herbarium Specimens
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