Brosimum alicastrum

Walnut bread ( Brosimum alicastrum )

The walnut bread ( Brosimum alicastrum, Syn: alicastrum brownei Kuntze ), also Ramon tree, Masica Ojoshe, called Mojo, a useful plant from the family of the Mulberry family is ( Moraceae ). This species is found in tropical America from Mexico to Central America to Peru before, including Caribbean Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek: brosimos = edible.

Description

It is an evergreen broadleaf tree, reached the stature heights of up to 30 meters. In case of injury occurs from milk juice. The alternate, stalked, simple leaves are leathery, entire, 5-15 cm long and 2-6 cm wide. The stipules are free.

It blooms all year. They are monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The inflorescences are nearly spherical and many male flowers surrounded the only one to two female flowers. The male flowers have only one stamen. The female flowers contain an inferior ovary.

Other species of the genus (selection)

In addition to the bread walnut, there are other crops of the species-rich (about 24 species ) Genus Brosimum, the milk tree or Kuhbaum ( Brosimum galactodendron D.Don ex Sweet), which provides drinkable milk juice or letters of tree ( Brosimum guianensis ( Aubl. ) Huber, also Brosimum aubletii Poepp. et Endl. ), which provides valuable timber.

Use

Bread walnut provides seeds which can be used similar to those of the Okwabaums.

Before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, walnut bread was one of the most important crops of the Maya. The seeds were ground to meal and processed into tortillas. The walnut bread on a hectare of land can produce ten times more protein than corn and its seeds are rich in minerals and vitamins. Compared with maize, rice and wheat, the bread nut is in the areas of protein content, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, folic acid and iron front.

This type is used in Florida as an ornamental plant.

Swell

• W. Franke: Crop Science. Thieme Stuttgart. P 111, 1997.