Species in the Artocarpeae are tropical trees or shrubs which, like all members of the Moraceae, produce latex.

The first post-Linnaean description of the species was done by Sydney Parkinson during James Cook's first voyage to the Pacific.

[3] Members of the Artocarpeae are native to tropical Asia, the Indo-Pacific, southern Africa, Madagascar and the Neotropics.

[2] The native range of Artocarpus, the largest genus, includes tropical Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Micronesia.

[4] Hulletia is native to Southeast Asia, Parartocarpus and Prainea (sometimes included in Artocarpus) to the Indo-Pacific and Treculia to tropical Africa and Madagascar.