Breadnut tree

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Breadnut tree
Breadnut tree

Breadnut tree

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Rose-like (rosales)
Family : Mulberry family (Moraceae)
Genre : Brosimum
Type : Breadnut tree
Scientific name
Brosimum alicastrum
Sw.
Fruit and seeds of the breadnut tree

The breadnut tree ( Brosimum alicastrum , Syn . : Alicastrum brownei Kuntze), also called Capomo, Apompo, Masico or cow tree , is a useful plant from the mulberry family (Moraceae). This species occurs in tropical America from Mexico to Central America to Peru , including the Caribbean islands . The generic name comes from the Greek : brosimos = edible.

description

The breadnut tree is a fast-growing, evergreen deciduous tree that reaches heights of up to 30 meters or more. The trunk diameter can be over 1 meter. A sticky milky sap escapes from injuries . The tree has more or less developed buttress roots . The bark is grayish to brownish and in older specimens it flakes off in strips.

The alternate , stalked, simple leaves are leathery, shiny and entire, 5 to 15 cm long and 2 to 6 cm wide. The leaves, which are lighter on the underside, are ovate or obovate to lanceolate or elliptical and pointed to pointed or pointed to tail, they are usually glabrous. The lateral stipules are free and sloping.

It blooms all year round. The trees are mostly monoecious mixed-sex ( monoecious ). The often single, more or less stalked, lateral or axillary, small inflorescences are almost spherical and many, cream-colored to orange-yellowish, male flowers surround the only one or two female flowers. The male flowers contain only a protruding, stalk dished Stamen and they are usually without perianth , reduced perianth can sometimes occur. The female flowers are in the globular flowers ground sunk and contain from constant ovary with long and protruding stylus with a bifurcated scar and they are without perianth. There are greenish and salver-shaped bracts that surround the male flowers.

Roundish, mostly single-seeded, yellow to orange to brownish, reddish, slightly nubby and stone fruit-like berries (false fruits ) are formed, they are up to 1.5–2.5 cm in size. The large, round, slightly flattened seeds are brownish and smooth and shiny, the seed coat is papery. The two large cotyledons are unequal.

Systematics

There are two subspecies:

  • Brosimum alicastrum subsp. alicastrum : With dust bags with overgrown counters
  • Brosimum alicastrum subsp. bolivarense (Pittier) CCBerg : With dust bags with free counters

Other species of the genus (selection)

In addition to the breadnut tree, there are other useful plants of the species-rich (around 24 species) genus Brosimum , such as the milk tree or cow tree ( Brosimum galactodendron D. Don ex Sweet), which provides drinkable milky sap , or the letter wood tree ( Brosimum guianensis (Aubl.) Huber Syn .: Brosimum aubletii Poepp. Et Endl.), Which supplies valuable timber .

use

The breadnut tree provides grain-like seeds that are used similarly to those of the okwa tree . The taste should be similar to that of the sweet chestnut .

Before the arrival of Europeans in America, the breadnut tree was one of the most important crops of the Maya . The seeds were ground into flour and made into tortillas .
The breadnut tree can produce ten times more protein than corn on one hectare of land , and its seeds are rich in minerals and vitamins . Compared to corn, rice and wheat , the breadnut is ahead in the areas of protein, calcium , vitamin C , vitamin E , zinc , folic acid and iron .

The sweet, thin flesh is also edible.

The creamy milky juice is used as a milk substitute and also medicinally and it can also be mixed with chicle .

This species is used as an ornamental plant in Florida .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Waldemar Ternes , Alfred Täufel, Lieselotte Tunger, Martin Zobel (eds.): Food lexicon . 4th, comprehensively revised edition. Behr, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-89947-165-2 , pp. 295 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  2. ↑ Brosimum alicastrum from Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Flora of Barro Colorado Island, accessed May 17, 2019.

literature

  • Wolfgang Franke : Nutzpflanzenkunde: Usable plants of the temperate latitudes, subtropics and tropics . Thieme, Stuttgart, 2007, ISBN 978-3-13-530407-6 .
  • A. Engler , K. Prantl: The natural plant families. Engelmann, 1889, III. Part, 1st section, pp. 87 f, fig. 65, online at biodiversitylibrary.org.
  • RE Woodson Jr., RW Schery: Flora of Panama. Part IV, Fas. 2, In: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 47, 1960, p. 132 f, online at biodiversitylibrary.org.

Web links

Commons : Brosimum alicastrum  - collection of images, videos and audio files