The papaya belongs to the melon tree family. The tree grows to a height of only six to eight metres. The trunk has very few branches and the wood is very soft. The leaves, which can be up to 70 centimetres wide, are deeply lobed. Dioecious plants are relatively rare; most are monoecious due to the atrophy of either the female or male flowers. Pollination is carried out by insects. In plantations, one male tree is planted for every 30 female trees.
The melon-like fruits, which develop from the female flowers, grow directly on the trunk. The flesh is whitish, deep yellow, orange or red, with significant variations in flavour and texture. Inside the fruit is a cavity whose walls are covered with black seeds the size of peppercorns. The tree is native to Central and South America. Today, its distribution extends throughout the tropics, with around 50 different varieties. The ripe fruits are used as a dessert or in spreads and drinks. The unripe fruits are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The flesh contains vitamins A and C.
The milky sap of the papaya contains a protein-digesting enzyme (papain). It is extracted by scoring the green fruit whilst still on the tree. Papain is used to clarify beer, to tenderise meat, to curdle milk in cheese-making, in the manufacture of cosmetics, and in medicine as a dental cleanser and anthelmintic, as well as to treat indigestion.
Distribution
Central and South America; today, all tropical regions of the world
Number of related species
50 cultivars
Use
dietary (fruit, vegetables), papain as an additive in the food and beverage industry, cosmetics, medicine
