papaya
Large palmlike plant (Carica papaya; family Caricaceae), cultivated throughout the tropics and warm subtropics, and its succulent juicy fruit. [1]
The papaya, Carica papaya L., is a member of the small family Caricaceae allied to the Passifloraceae. [2]
The juice of the unripe fruit contain an enzyme that is useful in various remedies for indigestion and in meat tenderizers. [1]
Papaya is a tall herbaceous plant in the genus Carica; its edible fruit is also called papaya. [3]
Active breeding programs in a number of countries have produced cultivars that match local preferences for fruit size, shape, flesh color, flavor, and other characteristics. [4]
The papaya (from Carib via Spanish), papaw or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. [5]
Fruit, obovoid, yellow-orange when ripe with numerous pellet-sized black seeds. [...] • Phytochemicals: Chemical Profile of Unripe Pulp of Carica papaya: Phytochemical analysis of the mature unripe pulp of C papaya yielded minerals in considerable quantities and the presence of saponins and cardenolides that explains its astringent therapeutic uses. [...] • Seeds are considered antiinflammatory, anthelmintic, analgesic, stomachic and antifungal. [6]
‘Hortus Gold’ and ‘Honey Gold’ are gold-yellow skinned, yellow fleshed cultivars popular in South Africa; they are twice the size of ‘Solo’ types grown in Hawaii, but smaller than most papaya grown in tropical America. [4]
The papaya tree is a horticultural wonder, growing from seed to a 20-foot, fruit-bearing tree in less than 18 months. [1]
Papayas are plants of tropical regions and, for growth and fruit production, they need a warm climate. [3]
In fact, the recent decline of the Hawaiian industry was caused primarily by the same pathogen that destroyed plants in Florida - papaya ringspot virus. [4]
There may even be monoecious plants having both male and female flowers. [...] It is recorded that seeds were taken to Panama and then the Dominican Republic before 1525 and cultivation spread to warm elevations throughout South and Central America, southern Mexico, the West Indies and Bahamas, and to Bermuda in 1616. [2]
Sources:
[1] papaya: Definition from Answers.com
[2] Papaya
[3] Papaya - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[4] Papaya
[5] Carica papaya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[6] Papaya / Carica papaya / MELON TREE: Philippine Medicinal …