Monkey jack and Gumihan
Monkey Jack (Artocarpus rigidus Blume)
Gumihan (Artocarpus sericicarpus)
Unknown to many, the jackfruit and the breadfruit have relatives which bear delicious fruits and provide fairly good sources of timber. These species are the monkey jack and the “gumihan.” They play an important role in the natural vegetationin South-East Asia providing food , fiber, and medicinal products.
Description
The monkey jack is an evergreen tree which grows up to 35 m high. It has a gray bark which peels off in flakes. Leaves are oblong, dark green with prominent veins underneath. Numerous and small flowers are densely packed together forming the male and female heads which are produced separately within the same tree. Fruit is round, 7-13 cm wide, with thick, tapering spines, thick skin, and dull orange. Inside the fruit is the orange, sweet, waxy, and pleasant tasting pulp which surrounds the seeds.
The gumihan, on the other hand, is a medium-to-large-sized tree growing up to 40 m tall. The leaves are large, dark green, and hairy underneath. Fruit is roundish, 4-5 cmlong and 4 cm wide, orange yellow and covered with lon, coarse, thread-like hairs. The skin is thick and fleshy. The pulp is whitish, sweet, juic, aromatic and of fair to good flavor. Seeds are many, roundish and separate readily from the flesh. Continue reading “Monkey jack and Gumihan”