Kegema, Mountain pawpaw
Vasconcellea cauliflora

Family: Caricaceae

What it is like

A small tree without branches. It grows 3.5 m tall. The leaves are large with several lobes. Plants are separately male and female. Male plants produce white flowers on long stalks. The female flowers have shorter stalks. The fruit are oval and 7 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are yellow.

There are at least 22-40 species of Carica.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Andes, Belize, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, South America, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are more commonly used for jams, cakes and drinks.

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. Seeds take 30 days to germinate. Plants can be put in a nursery and transplanted.

Its other names

Local names

Bonete, Molocoton, Oreja de mico, Papaisis, Papaya cimarrona, Papaya de monte, Papaita, Tapaculo, Zonzapote

Synonyms

Carica boissieri Hemsl.; Carica bourgeaui Solms; Carica cauliflora Jacq.; Carica pennata Heilborn; Carica quinqueloba Sesse & Moc.; Papaya bourgeaui (Solms) Kuntze; Papaya cauliflora (Jacq.) Poir.; Vasconcellea boissieri A. DC.;