Family: Caricaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 1036 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Carica
Vegetable: False
Observations: S. Mexico to Venezuela
Description
Pawpaw, scientifically known as Carica papaya, is a tropical fruit-bearing plant celebrated for its delicious and nutritious fruit. Initially described in 1753 by the renowned botanist Linnaeus, the pawpaw has since captured the attention of botanists and horticulturists alike.
Native to a broad region that stretches from southern Mexico to Venezuela, the pawpaw thrives in the warm, tropical climates of Central and South America. This plant belongs to the Caricaceae family, which is distinguished by its soft-stemmed trees and large, lobed leaves.
The pawpaw tree is fast-growing and can reach up to 30 feet in height under optimal conditions. Its fruits, commonly referred to as papayas, are typically pear-shaped and can weigh up to 20 pounds each. They transition from green to a vibrant yellow or orange as they ripen and are known for their sweet, musky flavor and buttery texture. Each fruit is filled with numerous black seeds, which are usually discarded but are technically edible and have a peppery taste.
Not only prized for its delectable fruit, the pawpaw tree also holds medicinal value. The fruit is rich in vitamins A and C, folate, and various antioxidants, which contribute to its health benefits. Additionally, the enzyme papain, extracted from the fruit and leaves, is widely used in the food industry as a meat tenderizer and in the pharmaceutical industry for its digestive properties.
In regions where it is cultivated, the pawpaw plays a significant role in both local cuisines and economies. The fruit can be enjoyed fresh or used in various culinary preparations, including smoothies, salads, and desserts. Moreover, its health benefits have made it a popular ingredient in natural remedies and health products.
As a testament to its versatility and economic importance, the cultivation of the pawpaw continues to expand, especially in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Whether appreciated for its sweet, nutritious fruit or its medicinal applications, the pawpaw remains an essential plant in many cultures and societies.
Common Names
Deu: melonenbaum, papajabaum, papajapflanze
Eng: papaya, pawpaw, papaw, paw-paw
Por: mamoeiro, mamão, mamão-fêmea, mamão-macho, mamão-melão, papaia
Spa: mamón, papaya, papayero, papaya de monte, papaya de pájaro
Swe: papaja
Fra: papayer
En: Pawpaw, Papaya, Melon-tree, A̱ka̱mbut, Bala, Gedang, Katès, Kavēn agacē, Rutrpaupau, पपीता, Papaw, Paw-paw, Mamon, Paw paw, Tree melon
Af: Papaja
Ak: Borfere
Am: ፓፓያ
Ar: ببايا
Hy: Պապայա
As: অমিতা
Az: Qovunağacı
Bm: Papakay, Manje
Ba: Папайя
Eu: Papaia
Be: Дыннае дрэва, Папая
Bn: পেঁপে
Bi: Pawpaw
Bs: Papaja
Bg: Папая
My: သင်္ဘောပင်
Ca: Papaier
Zh: 木瓜, 番木瓜
Hr: Papaja
Cs: Papája melounová, Papája obecná
Da: Melontræ
Nl: Papaja
Eo: Papajo
Et: Harilik papaia
Fj: Weleti
Fi: Tarhapapaija
Fr: Papayer, Papaye, Papayer commun
Gl: Papaio
Ka: Ნესვის ხე
De: Melonenbaum, Papajabaum, Papajapflanze, Papaya
El: Παπάγια
Gn: Mamóne
Gu: પપૈયાં
Ht: Papay
Ha: Gwanda
He: פפאיה
Hi: पपीता
Hu: Papaja
Is: Sólaldin
Io: Papayo
Id: Pepaya
It: Papaia
Jv: Katès
Kn: ಪಪ್ಪಾಯಿ
Kk: Папайя
Km: ល្ហុង
Kv: Папайя
Kg: Dilolo
Ko: 파파야
Lo: ໝາກຫຸ່ງ
Lv: Papaija
Ln: Payipayi
Lt: Papajinis melionmedis
Lg: Eppaapaali
Mk: Папаја
Mg: Papay
Ms: Betik
Ml: പപ്പായ
Mr: पपई
Nv: Hashkʼaan dootłʼizhí
Ne: मेवा
Oc: Papaia
Or: ଅମୃତଭଣ୍ଡା
Pa: ਪਪੀਤਾ
Fa: پاپایا
Pl: Melonowiec właściwy
Pt: Mamão, Mamoeiro, Mamão-fêmea, Mamão-macho, Mamão-melão, Papaia, Mamao
Pt-br: Mamão, Papaia
Ru: Папайя
Sg: Päpâyë
Sa: मधुकर्कटीफलम्
Sr: Папаја
Sd: پپيتو
Sk: Papája melónová
So: Babaay
Es: Mamón, Papayero, Papaya (Costa Rica), Fruta bomba (Cuba), Mamao (Brasil), Papaya calentana (Colombia), Mamón (Argentina), Olocotón (Nicaragua), Lechosa (Venezuela)., Lechoso, Papaya, Papaja, Papaya de Monte, Papaya de Pájaro, Carica papaya, Fruta bomba, Lechosa, Olcoctón, Papanajo, Papaya calentana, Papayo
Su: Gedang
Sw: Mpapai
Sv: Papaja
Zh-tw: 番木瓜
Ta: பப்பாளி
Tt: Папайя
Te: బొప్పాయి
Th: มะละกอ
Bo: སེ་ཡབ།
To: Lesi
Ts: Mpopowa
Ug: كۇلى بېھىسى
Uk: Папая
Ur: پپیتا
Vi: Đu đủ
Wo: Papakay, Pàppaaya
Synonyms
- Carica papaya f. portoricensis ((Urb.) Solms)
- Papaya carica (Gaertn.)
- Carica pinnatifida (Heilborn)
- Carica papaya f. correae (Solms)
- Papaya peltata ((Hook. & Arn.) Kuntze)
- Carica papaya f. ernstii (Solms)
- Papaya citriformis ((J.Jacq. ex Spreng.) A.DC.)
- Carica papaya var. jimenezii (Bertoni)
- Papaya rochefortii ((Solms) Kuntze)
- Papaya papaya ((L.) H.Karst.)
- Carica papaya f. mamaya ((Vell.) Stellfeld)
- Vasconcellea peltata ((Hook. & Arn.) A.DC.)
- Carica sativa (Tussac)
- Carica peltata (Hook. & Arn.)
- Carica citriformis (J.Jacq. ex Spreng.)
- Carica posopora (L.)
- Carica papaya var. bady (Aké Assi)
- Carica portoricensis (Urb.)
- Carica rochefortii (Solms)
- Papaya vulgaris (DC.)
- Papaya edulis (Bojer)
- Papaya cubensis ((Solms) Kuntze)
- Carica jamaicensis (Urb.)
- Papaya sativa (Tussac)
- Carica jimenezii (Bertoni)
- Carica mamaya (Vell.)
- Carica pyriformis (Willd.)
- Papaya pyriformis ((Willd.) Baill.)
- Carica hermaphrodita (Blanco)
- Papaya posopora ((L.) DC.)
- Carica cubensis (Solms)
- Papaya cucumerina (Noronha)
- Papaya communis (Noronha)
Distribution
- Belize (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Honduras (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Angola (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Ascension (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Bahamas (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Benin (introduced)
- Bermuda (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil North (introduced)
- Brazil Northeast (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Brazil West-Central (introduced)
- Burundi (introduced)
- Cambodia (introduced)
- Cameroon (introduced)
- Cape Verde (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Cayman Is. (introduced)
- Central African Repu (introduced)
- Chad (introduced)
- Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
- China Southeast (introduced)
- Christmas I. (introduced)
- Cocos (Keeling) Is. (introduced)
- Comoros (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- East Himalaya (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Eritrea (introduced)
- Ethiopia (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- French Guiana (introduced)
- Gabon (introduced)
- Galápagos (introduced)
- Gambia (introduced)
- Gilbert Is. (introduced)
- Guinea (introduced)
- Guinea-Bissau (introduced)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
- Guyana (introduced)
- Haiti (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Ivory Coast (introduced)
- Jamaica (introduced)
- Laccadive Is. (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Line Is. (introduced)
- Marcus I. (introduced)
- Marianas (introduced)
- Marquesas (introduced)
- Marshall Is. (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- Mexico Central (introduced)
- Mexico Northeast (introduced)
- Mexico Northwest (introduced)
- Mozambique Channel I (introduced)
- Nauru (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- Nicobar Is. (introduced)
- Niue (introduced)
- Ogasawara-shoto (introduced)
- Oman (introduced)
- Paraguay (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Phoenix Is. (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Rodrigues (introduced)
- Rwanda (introduced)
- Réunion (introduced)
- Samoa (introduced)
- Santa Cruz Is. (introduced)
- Senegal (introduced)
- Seychelles (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- Solomon Is. (introduced)
- South China Sea (introduced)
- Southwest Caribbean (introduced)
- Sri Lanka (introduced)
- Suriname (introduced)
- Thailand (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Turks-Caicos Is. (introduced)
- Tuvalu (introduced)
- Vanuatu (introduced)
- Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- Wake I. (introduced)
- West Himalaya (introduced)
- Western Australia (introduced)
- Windward Is. (introduced)
- Zaïre (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Dec 4, 2020 by Frank Graczyk (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 29, 2019 by Myriam Thys (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 19, 2018 by Yaman Salwh (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 7, 2021 by pi joan (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 12, 2018 by Betsy Pitti (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Nov 7, 2016 by Luis Fernando Franco Maldonado (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 8, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 26, 2021 by Jitin Budhlakoti (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 9, 2017 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 8, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jan 21, 2019 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 24, 2022 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 6, 2019 by b y (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 3, 2008 by EOL − Randolph Femmer /life.nbii.gov (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Oct 8, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Dec 10, 2021 by Gustavo França (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 28, 2020 by oni fish (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 18, 2018 by sg (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 9, 2017 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 5, 2017 by Muhammad Falah (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jun 27, 2021 by SR SR (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 6, 2019 by b y (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 3, 2021 by Fernando da Luz Schmidt (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 9, 2017 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 30, 2019 by Rodríguez Ariel R. (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Other
Taken Jun 27, 2021 by Guerrero Quitorán Juan Manuel Jesús (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 13, 2021 by Gonzalo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 10, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Anziz AHMED ABDOU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 17, 2019 by OTS – R. Aguilar (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Jun 25, 2019 by medino antonio (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Carica papaya L.)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2874484)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30011248-2)
Specifications
Growth form: Single Stem
Growth habit: Tree, Shrub
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 8.0
Ph minimum: 5.0