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Carica papaya

Accession Count: 0
Common Name: papaya
Family Name: Caricaceae
Botanical Name: Carica papaya
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Characteristics: Carica papaya is an herbaceous perennial with a rounded form and a high, umbrella-like canopy (1, 2). The erect, singular stem is dark green to purple, hollow, nonwoody, and covered in the scars of leaf bases (3, 4). When punctured, white latex will emerge from all parts of the stem, and from unripe green fruit (4). As the plant matures, the trunk will thicken up to 12 inches in diameter, and trees may grow as tall as 20 feet (5). Long, hollow petioles emerge from the stem apex, upon which the evergreen leaves are spirally arranged, being deeply lobed, palmate, and green in color (1, 6). Flowering occurs year-round, leading to tiny, yellow, funnel-shaped blooms, either solitary or clustered along the trunk in leaf axils (4, 7). As C. papaya is naturally dioecious, both male and female flowers will be produced, as well as artificially created hermaphroditic flowers (4). The small male flowers are perfect, tubular, and borne upon a long peduncle, but contain nonfunctional ovaries. The female flowers are larger and rounded at the base, and imperfect – possessing a stigma but lacking stamens. Lastly, the hermaphrodite flowers are an intermediate between male and female flowers, being of moderate size and shape, and possessing a perfect and fully functional flower structure, which is capable of self-pollination (6).
Following pollination will occur the oblong or melon-shaped fruits, which are large, fleshy, and change color from green to yellowish-orange once ripe (7). As well as the flowers, the fruits of hermaphroditic and female trees also differ, with female plants producing oblong, spherical, or pear-shaped fruits; while hermaphroditic papaya produce fruits that are long and ovoid (4). Both fruits are equal in quality and contain numerous small black seeds (8). However, hermaphroditic plants are usually more productive than female, leading to a higher yield of fruit (6).
Compound: Car pap
Geographic Origin: American Tropics
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Natural History: Carica papaya was named by Carl von Linnaeus on May 1st, 1753, when it was published within Species Plantarum 2: 1036 (9). The genus, Carica, is Latin for “edible fig”, referring to the similarity of the leaves (4). The origin of the specific epithet, papaya, is not known, but it is believed to have stemmed from the Caribbean Taíno ababaia or ababai, the Indigenous names for the papaya fruits (10, 11). When first encountered by Europeans, the fruits were simply referred to as “tree-melons” (12).  However, it is theorized that Spanish and Portuguese explorers misunderstood the local name ababaia/ababai and eventually derived papaya, leading to the use of the current common name. In the 16th century, papaya was popularized in England, and by the 17th century, the common names pawpaw and papaw emerged. However, pawpaw also refers to the fruit of the native North American custard apple, Asimina triloba, and its use may lead to confusion (10).
C. papaya is native to the lowland coastal areas of North and Central America, including Southern Mexico, Costa Rica, and the United States of America (4, 5, 12). While the exact origin of papaya is unknown, certain studies have proposed three possible locations – the Mesoamerican Center, the Mesopotamic Center, and the North Chinese Center (13). It has naturalized in Florida, and is considered invasive in the state of Hawaii (5, 14).
Cultivation Notes: Papaya is hardy in USDA Hardiness zones 9a to 11 (20-40°F), but is utterly frost intolerant (2, 15). While a temperature of 53.6-111.2°F (12-44°C) is tolerated, the best growth will be observed under annual daytime temperatures of 69.8-86°F (21-30°C). Exposure to low temperatures results in lower fruit size and quality, while prolonged exposure to temperatures below 30°F without overhead sprinkling will result in death (12, 16). Full sun should be provided in order to maximize fruit yield – however, when grown ornamentally, light shade is permitted (2). C. papaya is intolerant of soil salt, wind, and flooding, under which death will occur within 48 hours if substrate is not well draining (1, 4, 5, 17). Otherwise, papaya is tolerant of numerous soil conditions, including scarified limestone, marl, sandy, loamy, and clay soils with a pH of 4.5-8 (5, 16). However, the best growth is observed in well-aerated, light, porous soils that are rich in organic matter and include a neutral pH (6-7). Overly lush soils will result in low quality of fruit yield (4, 12). The soil should be kept moist but not-water logged, with moderate irrigation provided (2).
Propagation is primarily possible through seed, although air-layering, rooting of cuttings, and budding experiments have been conducted with varying success. However, in order to propagate, male or hermaphroditic plants must be available to disperse pollen to female trees. Hand pollination is recommended, as inadequately pollinated papayas bear a light crop of fruits with irregular size and shape (12). At the same time, certain C. papaya plants are capable of changing sex in response to seasonal changes and human actions, such as the cutting of male trunks (3).
Ethnobotany: The papaya plant is valued for a variety of cultural, medicinal, and culinary uses, and is extensively cultivated throughout the world. The dried leaves have been beaten in water to form a soap, or used as mulch. Papain, an enzyme concentrated within the milky latex of unripe fruits, is used in cosmetic skincare, termite control, degumming natural silk, as a chewing gum alternative, a beer clarifier, and as a meat tenderizer (18). Additional uses of the latex include the treatment of wool and silk, to de-hair hides before tanning, in toothpastes and cosmetics, and as an adjunct in rubber manufacturing. Medicinally, the latex has been used to treat boils, warts, freckles, tumors, ulcers, HPV, and dengue fever, and is used as an abortive in India (12, 18). However, papain is altered by digestive enzymes, and may not be effective when consumed orally, and there is little scientific evidence to support its medicinal use (19). The other medicinal uses of papaya are extremely varied, with the plant possessing antioxidant, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and wound healing abilities (20, 21). It has been used to treat diabetes, venereal diseases, digestive disorders, diarrhea, high blood pressure, tertiary malaria, irritable bowel syndrome, bronchitis, and dysentery, while also inducing menstruation  (17, 18, 21). At the same time, C. papaya is valued as a vermifuge, and has been used to treat threadworms, roundworms, and other intestinal worms (18).
However, papaya is the most extensively valued when used for culinary purposes. Ripe papaya are consumed singly or with lime and lemon, sliced and crystallized as a sweetmeat, or covered in sugar syrup and frozen to create a dessert (12). Unripe green fruits are boiled, baked, added to vegetable soups, or eaten as a vegetable, but must never be consumed raw (12, 17). Following, the seeds are used as an alternative to black pepper and are valued in salad dressings, while male flowers are cooked as a green vegetable (12, 17). Although the young leaves can also be consumed, and are valued as a replacement for spinach in the East Indies, older leaves contain alkaloids and should be avoided (12, 17). Finally, the flesh is made into sauce for shortcake or ice-cream, cooked into pie, pickled, or preserved as jam or marmalade (12). Because the fruit mesocarp contains one of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C amongst all tropical fruits, C. papaya serves a myriad of valuable medicinal and culinary purposes (20).
Height: 16 - 20 feet
Width: 6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate: Fast Growing
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Flower Season:
Color: Yellow
Function: Accent
Spread: Spreading
Allergen: Allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Tender
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:
  1. Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  2. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  3. Botanical Online. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  4. World Agroforestry. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  5. University of Florida. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  6. Crop Knowledge Master. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  7. University of Florida, Edward F. Gilman et al. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  8. The Worldwide Vegetables. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  9. Tropicos. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  10. HerbaZest. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  11. FoodPrint. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  12. Purdue University: Horticulture & Landscape Architecture. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  13. Genetics and Genomics of Papaya. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  14. Invasive Plant Atlas. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  15. Dave’s Garden. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  16. Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  17. Plants for a Future. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  18. Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  19. WebMD. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  20. International Society for Horticultural Science. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
  21. US National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 17th, 2021.
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Carica papaya