LAKOOCHA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Artocarpus lakoocha
FAMILY: Moraceae
| Botanical Name: | Artocarpus lakoocha | |
| Common Names: | Red Jakfruit, monkeyjak, lakuchi (India), tampang (Malaysia) | |
| Family: | Moraceae - other members include the mulberry, breadfruit, and other Jakfruit relatives. | |
| Origins: | Southern Asia - from the humid sub Himalayan regions of India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. | |
| Description: | The tree | - 6 to 9 metres - open branches rather than closed like other Jakfruit |
| Leaves | - large with hairs - deciduous at certain times of the year | |
| Flowers | - at the base of leaves and stems of new growth only - male and female on same tree - male flowers are small, orange-coloured, spongy balls, 1-2 cm in diameter | |
| Fruit | - main flowering period seems to be the wet season - seedlings bear fruit in 4-5 years - round, 5-10 cm wide but can be irregularly shaped depending on degree of pollination - ripe when colour changes to dull yellow with a pinkish tinge - the pulp is sweet with a pleasant tangy citrus taste, a bit like Kwai Muk fruit - eat all the fruit including the skin and the "rags" - seeds are surrounded by an aril (like Jakfruit) - can be eaten raw but the books say mostly made into curries or chutneys | |
| Other uses: | - male flowers made into pickles (how?) - seeds are edible - wood is similar to Teak, heavy and durable - the bark can be chewed like betel nut - the wood and roots can be used for dye - the bark can be applied to skin ailments - the fruit is believed to be a liver tonic | |
| Requirements: | - seems to need minimal care i.e. that's all it gets at Sycamore St. - no pests or diseases so far - birds will eat the ripe fruit if it is left on the tree - hand pick ripe fruit. A fruit picker will dent/bruise/squash fruit | |
| Cultivation: | - propagate from seeds - grafted trees are available - prunes well - slow grower | |
| References: | Morton, J., Fruits of Warm Climates Facciola, S., Cornucopia, a Source Book of Edible Plants | |
DATE: May 1998
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