Brosimum alicastrum

Brosimum alicastrum is a tropical American tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae. Its nutritious seeds are eaten cooked or ground, and the tree is also known as ramón or breadnut.

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Maya nut: The edible seed of Brosimum alicastrum, traditionally cooked, roasted, or ground into flour. This name highlights the tree’s role as a food source in parts of Central America.
Moraceae: A family of flowering plants that includes figs, mulberries, breadfruit, and many latex-producing trees. Brosimum alicastrum belongs to this family, whose species often bear multiple fruits.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen to a flower’s receptive surface, enabling fertilization in seed plants. Pollination precedes the development of the tree’s fruits and seeds.
Tikal: A major ancient Maya city in present-day Guatemala, known for its monumental architecture and surrounding forest. Ramón trees grow in the forests around this Maya site and have figured in debates about ancient food supplies.
Agroforestry: Land-use systems that combine trees with crops or livestock on the same land. Ramón can be retained or planted in farms for food, shade, and tree cover.
Brosimum: A genus of tropical American trees in the mulberry family, Moraceae. The species is one member of this wider tree genus.
Seed dispersal: The movement of seeds away from their parent plant by animals, wind, water, or other agents. Animals that eat the fruits can carry seeds away from the parent tree.
Maya civilization: A civilization of Mesoamerica whose people built cities and developed distinctive political, artistic, and scientific traditions. The tree is often discussed in accounts of Maya subsistence and forest use.
Food security: Reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food for an active, healthy life. The seeds can provide a locally harvested food during periods of scarcity.
Multiple fruit: A fruit formed from the fused ovaries of multiple flowers in an inflorescence. The tree’s fleshy fruit develops from a cluster of flowers.