Artocarpus rigidus
| Tempunik (Artocarpus rigidus) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Artocarpus rigidus |
| Common names | Tempunik, Monkey jack, monkey jackfruit |
| Genus | Artocarpus |
| Family | Moraceae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Growth form | Evergreen upper-canopy tree |
| Native range | Southern Indo-China to western Malesia; Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia |
| Mature size | Usually about 30 m; exceptionally up to 45 m tall, with a bole up to about 90 cm in diameter |
| Climate/site | Hot, humid tropics; mixed dipterocarp forest, hillsides and ridges, alluvial or swampy sites, often near streams |
| Propagation | Fresh seed sown immediately; seed loses viability when dried |
| Fruit | Roundish syncarps up to about 7 cm across, occasionally to 13 cm; sweet, juicy orange flesh |
| Harvest | Seasonal timing is not established as a universal calendar |
| Years to fruit | N/A; a supported species-wide interval was not found |
Artocarpus rigidus, known as Tempunik, Monkey jack, or monkey jackfruit, is an evergreen Southeast Asian tree in the family Moraceae. GBIF accepts Artocarpus rigidus as the canonical species name, in the genus Artocarpus and order Rosales.[1] Its native range extends from southern Indo-China to western Malesia, where it grows in wet tropical forest.[2]
The species is harvested from the wild and is also occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. The sweet orange flesh is eaten fresh, and the tree is also valued locally for timber.[3]
Description[edit | edit source]
Monkey jack is an evergreen upper-canopy tree. Useful Tropical Plants gives a general height of about 30 m and notes that exceptional trees can reach 45 m; the straight cylindrical bole can reach about 90 cm in diameter and may have large buttresses.[3] The foliage is arranged on stout twigs, and the species forms syncarps from its compact inflorescences, as is characteristic of the genus.[4]
The fruit is usually roundish and up to about 7 cm in diameter, though larger fruits up to about 13 cm have been recorded. The flesh is orange, sweet, and juicy.[3] The tree is associated with the regional names Tempunik and Monkey jack; names vary among countries and local languages.[4]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
This is a tree of hot, humid tropical conditions and is not a practical choice for climates with regular frost. It becomes a large forest tree, so a permanent planting site must allow substantial vertical and lateral space. Cultivation guidance is limited to the documented native habitat and the general Artocarpus propagation record; no tested orchard production schedule is published.[2]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
In its native range the tree occurs on hillsides and ridges as well as alluvial and swampy ground, often near streams. It therefore tolerates more than one soil setting in wet tropical landscapes, but a deep soil with reliable moisture and good drainage is the safer garden analogue; avoid a permanently stagnant root zone unless the site has been demonstrated suitable.[5]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The species belongs to humid tropical forest, including the upper canopy. Young plants should be protected from drying exposure while they establish; a mature specimen needs strong light and ample overhead and lateral room. Warm, humid air and good airflow are preferable to an exposed, drought-prone site.[2]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The species is evergreen, but no universal flowering or harvest calendar is documented. In cultivation, protect young trees from dry-season moisture stress and expect fruiting to vary with local rainfall, tree age, and site conditions rather than applying a fixed month-based schedule.[3]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Fresh seed should be extracted from ripe fruit and sown immediately. The seed has no useful dormancy period, germinates promptly, and loses viability within weeks when allowed to dry; keep it moist and do not store it as dry seed.[6] The years from planting to first fruit are not documented for seedling or vegetatively propagated Artocarpus rigidus.
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The fruit is an aggregate syncarp formed from a female inflorescence. Fruits are generally up to about 7 cm across, with occasional records to 13 cm, and the mature flesh is sweet, juicy, and orange.[3] No universal flowering or fruiting season is documented; harvest timing follows local tree and fruit maturity rather than a fixed calendar.
Harvesting a large tree requires safe access and should not be attempted by climbing unstable branches. Wild harvest is documented as a local food practice, while commercial-scale orchard timing and yield data remain insufficiently documented for this species.[3]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
Ripe fruit is usually eaten raw. The orange flesh is described as sweet and juicy, and the seeds may be roasted.[3] The tree is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in Malaysia and Indonesia and is commonly harvested from the wild for local food and material use.[3]
The wood is a source of keledang timber. Documented timber uses include furniture, house building, interior joinery, panelling, boats, boxes, and crates; the wood is also used for high-quality coffins in Malaysia. These material uses should be understood as regional timber practices, not as a recommendation to harvest planted fruit trees.[3]
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Artocarpus rigidus 12740677.jpg: Brook, CC BY 4.0; Monkey jack photographed in Thailand; Wikimedia Commons file page.
- Artocarpus rigidus 12454680.jpg: Cheng-Tao Lin, CC BY 4.0; Monkey jack photographed in Taiwan; Wikimedia Commons file page.
- Artocarpus rigidus 12454681.jpg: Cheng-Tao Lin, CC BY 4.0; Monkey jack photographed in Taiwan; Wikimedia Commons file page.
