Treculia africana is a tree species in the genus Treculia which can be used as a food plant and for various other traditional uses. The fruits are hard and fibrous, can be the size of a volleyball and weight up to. Chimpanzees have been observed to use tools to break the fruits into small pieces that they can eat. The fruits contain polyphenols.
Description and origin
Treculia africana is a species of tree known in English as African breadfruit, breadfruit, wild jackfruit, and African boxwood. Many names are given to this species in the Igbo language in southern Nigeria, but the most common is ukwa. The geographical distribution of T. africana extends through West and Central Africa. The species can grow below above sea level.
Botanical characteristics
T. africana is a large tree in the family Moraceae. It grows in wet areas and forests. The species can grow up to a height of. The girth of the stem can attain. The bark is grey and discharges a cream latex. The leaves are large and dark green above and lighter below. Trees are dioecious or sometimes monoecious. Leaves occur in two ranks; stipules are amplexicaul. Inflorescences are unisexual, sometimes bisexual, or globose, and borne in the leaf axils or on the older wood and branches. Pistillate flowers line the outer surface of a large receptacle. The flowering period is from October until February. The fruit is big, round, and greenish yellow. The texture of the fruit is spongy when it is ripe, and it contains abundant seeds, which are the edible part of this fruit. Under good environmental conditions, the yield from one tree is 200 kg of dried seeds. Seeds are dicotyledonous
Varieties
Based on detailed field observations, three varieties are distinguished within the subspecies: T. a. var. africana, T. a. var. inversa, and T. a. var. mollis. Their taxonomic differences are based mainly on the size of the fruit head and the hairiness of branchlets and leaves. A striking variation exists in the number of fruit heads produced by trees belonging to T. a. var. africana and T. a. var. inversa. The former is clearly superior in the weight of seeds produced, while the latter produces more fruit and also produces twice as many branches. Key to the varieties of T. africana
Treculia africana
Uses
Culinary use
African breadfruit is an edible traditional fruit, consumed, for example in Nigeria, where it is eaten as a main dish. The seeds are of particular interest because of their high nutritional value. Fresh seeds contain 38.3% carbohydrate, 17.7% crude protein, and 15.9% fat. Readily available in many developing African countries, T. africana can be an alternative to rice and yam. The seeds can be ground to flour, pressed for oil, or used as flavouring in alcoholic drinks. They can also be dry-roasted and eaten as a snack. African breadfruit is a good adjunct in brewing because it is a source of fermentable sugars.
Wood products
The wood has many uses such as firewood, for furniture, and for home and other building construction. It can also be processed into paper.
Animal feed
In countries such as Malawi and Tanzania, the fruit-head pulp and bran are used to feed monkeys and farm animals.
Environmental functions
This tree helps to control erosion and is a good natural source of mulch. However, deforestation, higher demand for cultivated agricultural areas, and the increasing population reduce numbers of this important forest tree in the African tropics. The traditional farming system uses mixed cropping. For example, the complete burning of land has an erosion effect which can be minimized if these trees are present.
T. africana is used for reforestation projects in Africa. The Nutrecul Agroforestry Project, an authority in Treculia nursery, is taking the lead and has the most genetic variation of trees. The organization has the largest collection of in vitrotissue culture mother plants and also has its own cultivariety
