# Artocarpus integer
**Artocarpus integer** (Thunb.) Merr., commonly known as cempedak, is a species of fruit tree in the mulberry family (Moraceae), native to Peninsula Thailand to Malesia and cultivated for its large, aromatic, edible syncarps.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information) It belongs to the same genus as jackfruit (*Artocarpus heterophyllus*) and breadfruit (*A. altilis*), and its name is published in Elmer Merrill's *Interpretation of Rumphius's Herbarium Amboinense* (1917).[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information) • [2](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Artocarpus integer* (Thunb.) Merr., Moraceae; first published 1917; synonyms include *A. champeden* (Lour.) Stokes and *A. integrifolius* L.f.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information) • [2](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504) |
| Native range | Peninsula Thailand to Malesia; an understorey tree of lowland tropical rainforest up to 500 m altitude[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information) • [3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) |
| Tree size | Large tree with dense crown, 15 m or more in height (up to 30 m in Singapore); exudes copious milky latex when cut[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) • [4](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/3/3309) |
| Fruit | Cylindrical to almost globose, 20–35 × 10–15 cm, 0.6–3.5 kg, generally smaller than jackfruit; edible portion 25–50% of fresh weight[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) • [5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artocarpus-integer) |
| Bearing age | Seedlings fruit after 3–6 years, clonal trees after 2–4 years; fruit maturation takes 3–6 months[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) |
| Main uses | Ripe fruit eaten fresh or preserved; unripe fruit as vegetable or pickle; seeds cooked; timber (trade name "jack") as strong as teak and durable under water[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) |
| Conservation | IUCN Red List status Least Concern; 2024 modeled extinction risk "not threatened" with confident assessment[2](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504) • [1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information) |
## Description
*Artocarpus integer* is a large tree with a dense crown, reaching 15 m or more; the cylindrical stem bears gray-brown to dark brown bark with warty excrescences, and the blaze is pale pink to yellow, exuding a copious milky latex when cut.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) In Singapore, trees reach up to 30 m, with bumpy trunks and grayish-brown bark.[4](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/3/3309) The leaves are obovate to elliptic, 5–25 cm long and 2.5–12 cm wide, with an entire margin, pointed tip, and 6–10 pairs of lateral veins curving forward; leafstalks are 1–3 cm long.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Young leaves and stipules are covered with thin, stiff brown hairs.[4](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/3/3309)
**Flowers and fruit.** The species is monoecious, bearing male and female flowers on the same tree in solitary, stalked inflorescences at leaf axils, on the trunk, or on branches.[4](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/3/3309) The male heads are cylindrical, 3–5.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, whitish-yellow; female heads carry simple filiform styles exserted to 1.5 mm.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Female flower heads occur on cauliflorous shoots while most male heads form on shoots at the canopy periphery, a positioning that may favor wind pollination even though the pollen is sticky; insects visit the scented male inflorescences, which lack nectar on the female ones.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Field observations in Singapore have recorded gall midges on both staminate and pistillate inflorescences.[6](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/research/publications/gardens%27-bulletin-singapore/-/media/sbg/gardens-bulletin/gbs_73_02_y2021/73_02_08_y2021_v7302_gbs_pg309.pdf)
The fruits are cylindrical to almost globose, 20–35 × 10–15 cm, yellowish or brown to orange-green, hanging on short, thick stalks from stems of large branches; each contains many kidney-shaped seeds with a thin, white coriaceous testa.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Total fruit weight varies from 0.6 to 3.5 kg, generally smaller than jackfruit, and the edible portion (perianths plus seeds) is 25–50% of fresh fruit weight.[5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artocarpus-integer)
## Ecology and cultivation
*A. integer* is an understorey tree commonly found in secondary and sometimes primary forests in lowland tropical rainforest up to 500 m altitude, or sometimes higher, in areas without a distinct dry season.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Recorded biophysical limits are 0–1200 m altitude, mean annual temperature 3–47 °C, and mean annual rainfall 1250–2500 mm; it grows best on uneroded, well-drained soils of high silica and aluminum content and tolerates temporary waterlogging.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF)
Seedlings begin bearing fruit after 3–6 years and clonal trees after 2–4 years.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Flowering can occur at any time of year, but bloom is concentrated around February–April in Malaysia, July–August in Java, and September–October in Australia.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Stigmas remain receptive for 1–2 weeks, and fruit maturation takes 3–6 months depending on genotype and climate.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF)
## Domestication and cultivars
Cempedak is one of four Southeast Asian *Artocarpus* species whose domestication has been studied in detail by Nyree Zerega of the Chicago Botanic Garden and [Northwestern University](https://www.edgepedia.org/northwestern-university); in *A. integer* the putative wild progenitor has been identified, and molecular analysis shows distinct cultivars differing in color, taste, and size.[7](https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/botany/news/plant-press/perfect-occasion-talk-about-domestication) A study of cempedak origin and diversity recorded 26 different cultivar names, but only three of them (Durian-cempedak, Kuala Nerang, and Sik) were true to type, meaning all individuals under that name were clones.[8](https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/ajb2.1094) Hybrids with jackfruit are also known; a nutrient-composition study compared *A. champeden* with its hybrid Nanchem.[9](https://www.mosti.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/repository/penerbitan/2011/Asean-Journal-On-Science-Technology-For-Development-%E2%80%93-November-2011.pdf)
## Food and other uses
**Fruit and seeds.** The ripe fruit is eaten fresh or preserved in syrup, and the unripe fruit is used as a vegetable or made into pickle.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) In southern Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, the flesh is popular dipped in rice flour batter and deep-fried; the boiled seeds are eaten, added to fish-organ curry as a vegetable, and young fruit is simmered in coconut milk with chili paste.[10](https://www.doa.go.th/hort/?page_id=52416) Fresh pulp measures 37 °Brix total soluble solids at pH 5.0, with sugars of 4.5 g/100 mL fructose, 6.5 g/100 mL glucose, and 18 g/100 mL sucrose.[5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artocarpus-integer) Seeds make up 10–25% of fresh fruit weight and consist mainly of carbohydrate, protein, and dietary fiber.[5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artocarpus-integer) A 2021 study isolated bioactive compounds with potential prebiotic activity from the seeds, contributing to the use of Sarawakian underutilized plants as new prebiotic food sources.[11](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2021/9940078)
**Timber and other products.** Marketed as timber under the name jack, the wood matches teak (*Tectona grandis*) in strength, polishes well, is simple to cut and shape, and resists deterioration when submerged.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) Across its range the species provides fruit eaten raw or cooked and sold locally, cooked seeds, young leaves as a vegetable, bark for cordage, sap for bird-lime, and timber for light construction.[12](https://www.cifor-icraf.org/publications/pdf_files/Books/ethnobiology/EthnobiologyHandbook.pdf) Kew records the species as animal food, medicine, invertebrate food, material, and gene source, with environmental and social uses.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information)
**Folk medicine.** In Malaysia, *A. integer* has been used in traditional folk medicine for inflammation, malarial fever, ulcers, abscess, and diarrhea.[11](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2021/9940078) Reviews of the genus note that *Artocarpus* species are rich in phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, stilbenoids, arylbenzofurans, and the lectin Jacalin, and that traditional uses include treatment of inflammation, malarial fever, diarrhea, diabetes, and tapeworm infection.[13](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874110002060)
## Names and taxonomy
The accepted name is *Artocarpus integer* (Thunb.) Merr., with synonyms including *Artocarpus champeden* (Lour.) Stokes, *A. hirsutissimus* Kurz, *A. integrifolius* L.f., *A. jaca* Lam., *A. pilosus* Reinw. ex Miq., and *A. polyphema* Pers.[2](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504) Two varieties are recognized, *A. integer* var. *integer* and var. *silvestris* Corner.[14](https://mpns.science.kew.org/mpns-portal/plantDetail?dbs=wcsCmp&plantId=2653995) The generic name derives from the Greek *artos* (bread) and *karpos* (fruit), a reference to the edible fruits of the breadfruit group.[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF) [Vernacular](https://www.edgepedia.org/vernacular) names include cempedak and baroh (Malay), campedak and comedak (Javanese), champada (Thai), sonekadat (Burmese), kathar and kathal (Hindi), chakka and pilual (Tamil), and mit to nu (Vietnamese).[3](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF)
The genus *Artocarpus* contains approximately 70 species of monoecious trees ranging from India to the [Solomon Islands](https://www.edgepedia.org/solomon-islands), with a center of diversity in Borneo; *A. integer* is a species of regional importance alongside the widely cultivated jackfruit and breadfruit.[6](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/research/publications/gardens%27-bulletin-singapore/-/media/sbg/gardens-bulletin/gbs_73_02_y2021/73_02_08_y2021_v7302_gbs_pg309.pdf) The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, and the 2024 angiosperm extinction-risk prediction classifies it as not threatened with confident assessment.[2](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504) • [1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information)
## References
1. [Artocarpus integer (Thunb.) Merr., Plants of the World Online, Kew Science](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A582622-1/general-information)
2. [Artocarpus integer (Thunb.) Merr., World Flora Online](https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000550504)
3. [Artocarpus integer, Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al. 2009), World Agroforestry Centre](https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Artocarpus_integer.PDF)
4. [Artocarpus integer var. integer, NParks Flora & Fauna Web, Singapore](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/3/3309)
5. [Artocarpus integer, ScienceDirect Topics overview](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artocarpus-integer)
6. [Gardner, E.M. & Zerega, N.J.C. (2021). Taxonomic updates to Artocarpus subgenus Artocarpus (Moraceae). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 73(2): 309–374](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/research/publications/gardens%27-bulletin-singapore/-/media/sbg/gardens-bulletin/gbs_73_02_y2021/73_02_08_y2021_v7302_gbs_pg309.pdf)
7. [A perfect occasion to talk about domestication, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, The Plant Press (2019)](https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/botany/news/plant-press/perfect-occasion-talk-about-domestication)
8. [Origin and diversity of an underutilized fruit tree crop, cempedak (Artocarpus integer, Moraceae), American Journal of Botany](https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/ajb2.1094)
9. [Lim et al. Nutrient Composition of Artocarpus champeden and Its Hybrid (Nanchem), ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (2011)](https://www.mosti.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/repository/penerbitan/2011/Asean-Journal-On-Science-Technology-For-Development-%E2%80%93-November-2011.pdf)
10. [จำปาดะสายพันธุ์ ตง.20, Horticulture Research Institute, Department of Agriculture, Thailand](https://www.doa.go.th/hort/?page_id=52416)
11. [Wong et al. (2021). Isolation of Prebiotics from Artocarpus integer's Seed, International Journal of Food Science](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2021/9940078)
12. [Artocarpus integer (Thunb.) Merr. (Moraceae), CIFOR-ICRAF Ethnobiology Handbook](https://www.cifor-icraf.org/publications/pdf_files/Books/ethnobiology/EthnobiologyHandbook.pdf)
13. [Jagtap, U.R. & Bapat, V.A. (2010). Artocarpus: A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 129(2): 142–166](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874110002060)
14. [Plant name details for Artocarpus integer, Medicinal Plant Names Services, Kew](https://mpns.science.kew.org/mpns-portal/plantDetail?dbs=wcsCmp&plantId=2653995)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Rosids › Rosales, Fagales, and Cucurbitales*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license