Chapalish or Chaplash, Artocarpus chama

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Chapalish or Chaplash (Artocarpus chama, family: Moraceae) is a large-sized deciduous tree with buttressed base and milky latex, attaining a height of 30 m. Bark is brownish. Trunk is straight. The characteristics of the fruit is exactly like Jackfruit, but much smaller and rounder in size. It is cultivated for its fruit and wood somewhere. It is mainly found in the hilly forests of Chattogram and Chattogram Hill Tracts and Sylhet division as well as the forest of Madhupur of Tangail district. Its original home is Indian subcontinent.  

Other names: Chambol, Chambul, Cham-kathal, Kanthali-cham, Cham-phol.

Leaves are obovate, hairy, dark green 12-18 cm long and 12-16 cm wide, petioled, alternate, edge slightly undulated. The texture of veins and midribs are hard and clearly visible. In young plants leaves are mulilobed and large, can be up to 90 cm long, which is quite different from the mature plants.


Flowers on round receptacles, single, axillary. Male and female flowers are produced separately on the same tree. Females are peduncled. Flowering occurs in March-April.

Fruit is syncarp (fruits bound in numerous chambers in the same covering), globose or subglobose, tuberculate, heavy, 8-10 cm wide. The edible fruit is sour in taste, but has a slightly sweet taste. Seeds can be eaten fried just like Jackfruit. Fruit matures in June-July. It is propagated by seeds.

Bark, leaf, seed, root are used in diarrhoea, skin diseases, asthma, ulcers etc. Wood is a precious one. It is used to make furniture and sleepers of railway. Its fruits are very favourite of Elephants and Monkeys. 

Synonyms: Artocarpus asperulus, Artocarpus chaplasha, Artocarpus melinoxylus, Ficus chrysophthalma, Urostigma chrysopthalmum, Saccus calophyllus, Saccus chaplasha 


Other species of Moraceae family described on this site

Artocarpus heterophyllus, Kathal or Jackfruit 

Artocarpus lacucha, Deua or Monkey jack 

Ficus benghalensis, Bot or Banyan

Ficus elastica, Rubber bot or Indian rubber 

Ficus heterophylla var. assamica Bhui dumur 

Ficus hispida, Dumur or Hairy fig  

Ficus racemosa, Joggodumur, Jagdumur

Ficus religiosa, Ashoth, Bodhi tree  

Ficus virens, Pakur or White fig 

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