Mountain papaya
Vasconcellea pubescens

Family: Caricaceae

What it is like

A small tree. The tree has a silvery grey trunk. The tree is soft and not woody. It grows 1-2 m tall. The trunk has leaf scars. The leaves are smaller than ordinary pawpaw and deeply lobed. They are 8 sides and lobed. Leaves are 20-26 cm long by 34-40 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 17-34 cm long. Male and female flowers can be on the same or different plants. Many plants have both sexes. The fruit are small and angular. The fruit are 8-10 cm long. The fruit contain small round black skinned seed. The fruit is edible but tart.

There are at least 22-40 species of Carica.

Where it is found

They will grow to a higher altitude than common pawpaws. They grow at least between 1750 and 2200 m altitude. They can stand light frosts. They like a warm, dry site. They need shelter from the wind. It can grow in cooler tropical and subtropical climates. It suits a temperate between 10°C and 24°C. It benefits by plenty of rain. In the Andes it will grow above 2600 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andes, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Central Africa, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, East Africa, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten. It often needs to have sugar added. It is also made into jam. The fruit is usually cooked and used as a vegetable. The are also used for marmalade or juice.

Only a few plants occur in Papua New Guinea and fruit is rarely used.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

They are grown from seed. Plants can be male, female or both sexes. Seeds germinate easily. They can grow in 30 days. Occasionally cuttings are used.

Trees are fast growing. Trees from seed can start flowering after one year. Trees produce in 2-3 years. A tree can produce 50-60 fruit in a season. A spacing of 3 m is probably suitable. One plan can produce 50-60 fruit over a growth period of 4 months.

Its other names

Local names

Bonete, Chamburo, Chamburu, Chanpuru, Chiblacan, Chiglacon, Chilhuacan, Hembra, Huanarpu, Jigacho, Kondapapaya, Papaya de monte, Papaya ve altura, Rolo jimba, Siglalon, Siglolon, Titi-ish, Toronche redondo, Toronchi

Synonyms

Carica candamarcensis Hook.f.; Carica cestriflora (A. DC.) Solms; Carica chiriquensis Woodson; Carica pubescens Lenne & K. Koch; Carica cundinamarcensis Linden, nom. nud.; Papaya cundinamarcensis Kuntze; Papaya pubescens (A. DC.) Kuntze; Vasconcellea cestriflora A. DC.; Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis V. M. Badillo;