Monkey Jack

Location in BHU campus :: Planted near Central library, Ayurvedic garden and inside MMV compound.

Botanical name : Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. Syn A. lacucha Buch. Ham.

Family : Moraceae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali - Dahu, dephal, dheu; Gujarati - Lakoocha; Hindi - Barhal; Kannada – Esuluhuli, vatehuli; Malayalam - Kattupilalvu; Marathi - Wotomba; Oriya - Jeuto; Sanskrit - Lakudi; Tamil - Irapala, ottipilu; Telugu - Kammaregu.

English / Trade names : Monkey Jack, Barhal.

A large tree up to 20 m high with a large spreading crown and clear straight bole of about 6-9 m height; bark with milky latex. Leaves elliptic ovate or oblong.coriaceous. Flower heads axillary;males globose,2-2.5 cm diameter; females irregularly subglobose. Fruit yellow, 6-10 cm diameter, sub-globose, smooth, irregularly lobed, fleshy.Achenes embedded in fleshy receptacle.

Flowering :December and April

Flowering :May-June & October-November

• Sacred value

It is one of the plants mentioned in Ramayana while describing the famous Ashoka Vana and hence venerated.

• Uses

Fruits are edible and used in chutneys. Wood is used for posts, beams, , rafters and for medium weight furniture and boat-building. Bark is eaten like betelnuts. Wood and fruits yield an yellow dye. Sour fruits are dried and used as a substitute for tamarind in cooking .