Common Name: Papaya

General Information

Carica papaya, the papaya, is a small, fast-growing but short-lived, evergreen tree growing 3 - 10 metres tall with a bole 10 - 30cm in diameter. The plant is usually without side-branches, although these can be produced if the plant is injured or the growing tip is removed[, ]. Although it adopts the habit of a tree, the bole is non-woody and somewhat hollow[].
One of the most popular and delicious of tropical fruits, papaya is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, The tree also has a wide range of other uses, particularly for the medicinal value of its fruits and leaves[, , ].

Known Hazards

Older leaves contain the alkaloid carpaine[].

Botanical References

Range

The original habitat is believed to be Central America and southern Mexico, but is not known for certain.

Habitat

Not known as a truly wild plant

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Moths, Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Papaya succeeds in tropical and subtropical areas, where it can be found between 32°N and S. It produces best at elevations below 900 metres, though it can also succeed as high as 2,100 metres near the equator[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 44°c[]. It can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower[]. It prefers a climate with well distributed rainfall and a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,000mm[, , ]. Low temperatures cause smaller fruit size and low quality.
Prefers a sunny position in a deep, humus- rich soil[]. Requires a well-drained, well-aerated soil, trees can die within a few days if the soil becomes waterlogged[]. Grows best in a position sheltered from strong winds[]. Plants produce masses of easily damaged feeding roots near the surface and so are best hand weeded when young and given a good organic mulch as they grow[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8[].
A very productive plant, it can start to crop when only 6 months old and can produce fruit all year round[].
Yields of between 22 - 56 tonnes/ha of fresh fruit are obtained in Hawaii and yields up to 80 tones/ha have been reported. The yields are highest in the second and third year and they then decline rapidly[].
The productive life of a tree is very short, yields have declined sharply by the time it is four years old[].
There are many named varieties[, , ].
Individual plants can bear only male flowers, only female flowers or hermaphrodite flowers. One male plant will be enough to fertilize 6 or more females[]. Hand pollinated fruits ripen after about 150 - 240 days[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The vitamin-rich fruit has a firm, creamy texture and a delightful flavour reminiscent of melon and apricot[]. Delicious raw[, ], it is a very versatile fruit and can also be preserved, dried, cooked in pies, made into jam, ice cream, jellies, sherbets etc[]. The immature green fruit can be eaten as a vegetable, either boiled, baked, made into chutneys, jams or added to vegetable soups etc[, ].

Seeds - used as a spice, especially in salad dressings[, ]. A pungent, mustard and cress-like flavour[].

Male flowers - cooked and used as a green vegetable[]. A bitter flavour, it is probably best to change the water at least once during the cooking[].

Very young leaves - cooked[, ]. A strong bitter flavour[]. Some caution is advised since older leaves contain alkaloids[].

Medicinal

The skin of the unripe fruit, the leaves, sap and seeds of the papaya are all a source of the enzyme papain, a digestive stimulant that facilitates the digestion of protein[, ]. The unripe fruit is an especially good source[]. Papain can be used internally, especially in the form of the extracted enzyme, to treat digestive disorders[]. It is also applied externally to aid the healing of deep or slow-healing wounds[].

An infusion of the young, latex-filled, green fruit is used as a children's vermifuge[]. The juice of the fruit is used to treat diabetes and hypertension[]. The immature fruit, sometimes combined with aspirin, is used as an abortifacient[].
The fruit pulp is mixed with fat in a pomade to remedy abscesses[]; The juice of the fruit is used to dissolve warts[].

The leaves and the fruit, especially the unripe fruit, are taken internally in the treatment of a range of digestive disorders, diarrhoea, high blood pressure and painful womb[, ]. The green leaves are cooked as a treatment for tertiary malaria and for irregular bowel movement in children[].
Externally, the leaves are applied to wounds as a dressing that helps to speed the healing process[].

The leaves and seeds are used locally to rid the body of threadworms and roundworms[]. The seeds are used as a gentle purgative to rid the body of worms[]. Immature seeds are swallowed to treat diarrhoea[].

The seed is eaten as a children's vermifuge, and also to increase visual acuity[].

The latex from the trunk of the tree has a strong purgative action when taken internally and is sometimes used to rid the body of worms[].
The latex is applied externally to wounds, boils, ulcers, warts and cancerous tumours in order to speed their healing[]. It is also applied to the gums to treat toothache[].

The ripe fruit is a mild laxative[]. A decoction of the ripe fruit is used to treat persistent diarrhoea and dysentery in children[].

An infusion of the flowers is drunk in order to induce menstruation, and also to treat laryngitis, bronchitis and venereal diseases[, ]. The flowers are used in combination with milk and butter as an appetite stimulant[].

The bark is used to treat diarrhoea[].
The inner bark is used to treat toothache[].

The root is aphrodisiac, astringent and vermifuge[]. The macerated root is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[]. An infusion of the root in alcohol is used to treat bladder and kidney problems[]. A decoction is drunk to treat abdominal stricture, diarrhoea, malaria and intestinal worms[].
Applied externally, an infusion of the root in alcohol is rubbed on the limbs to treat rickets[]. A decoction of the root is used externally to treat abdominal stricture[].

The latex contains the protein-degrading (proteolytic) and mucolytic enzymes papain and chymopapain[].
The plant contains hydrocyanic acid, carpaine, terpene hydrocarbons, terpene alcohols, cyanogenic glycosides[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Young leaves are used as mulch[].

Other Uses

The dried leaves can be beaten in water to form a soap substitute[].

Papain, found in its greatest concentration in the latex in the skin of unripe fruits, has a multitude of uses. It is added to cosmetic skin creams, termite control, used in clarifying beer, degumming natural silk etc[, ].

A fibre obtained from the plant can be up to 150cm long, but it is of questionable utility[].

The whitish or pale yellow wood is very soft, very lightweight, and fleshy. There is a large white pith, and the centre of the trunk is hollow except at nodes. The wood is not used[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a position in indirect light. Germination takes 2 - 6 weeks at 24 - 30°c[]. Move to a sunny position about 2 weeks after germination.
Greenwood cuttings.
Grafting.

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