Kiribati

by tools4fools
leaves of a breadfruit tree shining in the late afternoon sun
The Breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis) is a large tree up to 20 meters tall with its origins in the South Pacific. The large fruits are usually round or oval and weight up to 5.5 kilograms. Once roasted the creamy white or pale yellow flesh has a similar texture and fragrance of fresh baked bread and therefore giving the tree its name. Further many parts of the tree are used in the traditional medicine of the Pacific Islands. The latex like juice of the leaves is commonly used to treat skin ailments and fungus diseases while the sap of crushed stems of leaves is used to treat ear infections and sore eyes. The pod-like dried male flowers can be burned to use as a mosquito repellant. The timber is light and used for construction and sometimes for carvings.