Rank Species | Tribe Artocarpeae Scientific name Artocarpus hirsutus | |
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Similar Artocarpus, Moraceae, Vateria indica, Hopea parviflora, Holigarna | ||
Artocarpus hirsutus tree
Artocarpus hirsutus, known by a variety of names, such as Aini, Aini-maram, Aani, Anhili, Anjili,(Tamil : அயனிபலா) (Malayalam: ആഞ്ഞിലി), Hebbalasu (Kannada:ಹೆಬ್ಬಲಸು) and the Wild Jack or Jungle Jack is a tropical evergreen tree species that is native to India (Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu), where it prefers moist, deciduous to partially evergreen woodlands.
Contents
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. 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 boats of Kerala are often hewn out of the Aini's wood. 140 tons of A. hisutus wood from Kerala was used for Tim Severin's ship Sohar, in which he traveled from Muscat to Canton in 1980-81.
Its flowers are, unisexual, in axillary inflorescences and its fruits are syncarps and very sweet, changing to an orange hue when ripe. Its simple, alternate leaves will ooze latex if broken. It is harvested for its wood.
Diseases: The important diseases of Artocarpus hirsutus reported from Southern part of India (Kerala state) are Pink disease (Corticium salmonicolor) & Macrophomina leaf spot (Macrophomina phaseolina).
Artocarpus hirsutus wild jack jungle jack fruits on tree
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 seeds are also edible, usually fried as a snack.