ARTOCARPA'CEE, a natural order of dicotyledonous plants, of which the bread-fruit (artocarpus ineisa) is the type; very nearly allied to that of moracem (mulberries, figs, etc.), and, like it. by many botanists regarded as a sub-order of urticaeras (nettles, etc.). The botanical distinction between artocarpacew and moraceae lies chiefly in the straight embryo and large cotyledons of the former. The fruit is often a sorosis (a single succulent fruit formed of the aggregated germens of a whole spike of flowers), as in the case of the bread-fruit (q.v.). There are upwards of 50 known species, natives ex clusively of the tropics. The milky juice of some yields caoutchouc (q.v.); and that of a few species is so bland as to be used as a substitute for milk (see COWTREN_;). The juice of others is, however, very poisonous, as that of antiaris toziearia, the Antjar poi son, one of the poisons called upas by the Javanese. The seeds are always and those of the musanga of the Gold coast of Africa, and of brosimum in the West Indies, are eaten as nuts. The fibrous bark of the bread-fruit tree is made into
cloth in the South Sea islands, and that of other species of artocarpus is capable of being used in the same way. The bark of antiaris or lepurandra saceidora is used in western India for making sacks, which are formed by cutting a branch of the dimensions of the sack wanted; and simply turning back and drawing off the bark after it has been soaked and beaten, the wood being sawn off so as to leave a little portion to form the bottom of the sack. The fibrous bark of eecropia peltata, or trumpetwood, is used for cordage in tropical America. The stem and branches are very hollow, and are used for wind-instru ments. The wood of some species is valuable, as that of the- brosimum or piratinera guianensis, the snake wood of Demerara.