The morphology of the breadnut is a tree up to 35 metres (115 ft) tall with leaves 40–60 centimetres (16–24 in) long and 25–45 cm (10–17+1⁄2 in) wide and are pinnately lobed.

Meanwhile, A. mariannensis can be distinguished by having dark green elongated fruits with darker yellow flesh, as well as entire or shallowly lobed leaves.

[4] Other common names for plant include chataigne, castaña 'tropical' (French and Spanish for the unrelated but culinarily similar chestnut), kapiak in New Guinea, katahar in Guyana, kluwih in Indonesia, sukun biji in Malaysia, kos-del, gamasi in Makassarese, (කොස්දෙල් ) in Sri Lanka, pan de fruta in Dominican Republic (Spanish for its relative breadfruit), labapin in Haïti, and pana de pepita in Puerto Rico.

Artocarpus altilis, the breadfruit, is believed to be a domesticated descendant of A. camansi, selectively bred by Polynesians to be predominantly seedless.

[5][6] Breadnut trees can usually be found in tropical environments along low-lying areas at an elevation of 0–1,550 m (0–5,085 ft), inundated riverbanks, and in freshwater swamps.

[3] In the Philippines (along with the related breadfruit, jackfruit, and antipolo) it is commonly cooked with coconut milk and spices and eaten as ginataang kamansi.