UniFlora
UniFlora
EXPLORE · LEARN · CONSERVE
Home  /  Explore Plants  /  Caricaceae  /  Carica papaya
TreeCultivatedPerennialMedicinal

Carica papaya L.

Papeeta

No photograph on file for this species yet. Contributors can submit one.

Description

Carica papaya is a fast-growing, soft-wooded, evergreen tree-like herb, usually 2–10 m tall, with a single, hollow, unbranched stem marked by prominent leaf scars. Leaves are large, simple, palmately lobed, 30–70 cm wide, borne on long hollow petioles, and clustered near the stem apex. The species may be male, female, or hermaphroditic. Flowers are creamy-white to pale yellow and fragrant; male flowers occur in long pendulous panicles, while female and hermaphrodite flowers are solitary or borne in small clusters near the stem. Fruits are large, fleshy berries, spherical to oblong, green when immature and turning yellow to orange when ripe, containing numerous small black seeds embedded in a gelatinous pulp.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative
Soft, hollow, unbranched stem with a crown of large palmately lobed leaves.
Floral
Creamy-white unisexual or hermaphroditic flowers; male flowers in long pendulous panicles and female flowers solitary or clustered.
Fruit & Seed
Large yellow-orange fleshy berries containing numerous black seeds surrounded by gelatinous pulp.

Distribution

Native range: Southern Mexico and Central America.

Introduced range: Widely cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

In Pakistan: Commonly cultivated throughout Pakistan.

Phenology

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Flowering
Fruiting
Flowering: Throughout the year under favorable conditions Fruiting: Throughout the year, with peak production during the warm season

Ethnobotany & Uses

Food Uses
The ripe fruits are eaten fresh and processed into juices, jams, desserts, and beverages, while unripe fruits are cooked as a vegetable.
Medicinal Uses
Fruits, leaves, seeds, and latex are traditionally used for treating digestive disorders, intestinal parasites, inflammation, dengue fever, and wound healing. The latex contains papain, a proteolytic enzyme widely used in medicine and the food industry.
Economic Uses
An important commercial fruit crop cultivated worldwide. Papain is used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile, leather, and food-processing industries.
Nutritional Value
Fruits are rich in vitamins A and C, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals.
UniFlora AI Assistant
Ask about Papeeta

Hello! I'm UniFlora AI. Ask me anything about Papeeta (*Carica papaya*) — identification tips, flowering season, uses, campus locations, or taxonomy.

Powered by UniFlora knowledge base.

Where it grows on campus

North-East Campus1
1
individuals mapped across 1 zone
Show on campus map

Taxonomic Notes

Carica papaya, commonly known as Papaya or Pawpaw, is the best-known member of the family Caricaceae. It is readily recognized by its hollow, unbranched stem, crown of large palmately lobed leaves, and large edible fruits. The species exhibits three sexual forms—male, female, and hermaphroditic—which are important in cultivation and breeding. The accepted name follows Flora of Pakistan, Plants of the World Online (POWO), and World Flora Online (WFO).