Pawpaw, Papaya
Carica papaya

Family: Caricaceae

What it is like

Pawpaw is one of the very well known fruits of the tropics. The straight soft stemmed plant grows up to 3-5 metres tall and only occasionally has branches. The stem is softly woody and has scars from fallen leaves along it. At the top of the plant there are a clump of leaves. The leaves are large (50 cm wide) deeply lobed and on long leaf stalks. The leaf stalks are 90 cm long. There is a crown of leaves at the top of the trunk. Trees can be male, female or bisexual. The male flowers are small and white and on long stalks. Female and bisexual flowers are on short stalks. These have no fruit, round fruit and long fruit respectively. There are three forms of long fruit. The seeds are black.

Now only one species is included and the others are put in the Vasconcellea. It possibly has anti-cancer properties. Fruit are reasonably high in folates 62-97μg/100.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. Pawpaws will grow from sea level up to about 1700 m altitude in the equatorial tropics. In cooler regions they have to be planted but in humid tropical regions are commonly self sown. Sunlight allows germination when forest is cleared. Plants cannot stand frost. A temperature of 25-30°C is suitable. They need a night temperature above 12°C. Also they cannot stand water-logging. Plants die after 48 hours in standing water. It needs a pH between 5-8. It suits hardiness zones 11-12. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Amazon, American Samoa, Andaman Is., Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bougainville, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Caroline Islands, Central Africa, Central America (country/location of origin), Chile, China, Christmas Island, Chuuk, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, FSM, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lesser Antilles, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mamao, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Sahel, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South America (country/location of origin), South Sudan, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UAE, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, West Papua, West Timor, Yap, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Fruit can be eaten ripe and raw. Green fruit can be cooked as a vegetable. The young leaves can be eaten cooked, but are bitter. The flowers and the middle of the stem can be eaten. Papayas contain papain which is a meat tenderiser. The dried seeds can be used as a spice.

It is a common and cultivated fruit tree. In Papua New Guinea it occurs in all lowland areas in gardens and bush. Trees are near houses in the highlands. The fruit is popular for snacks and baby food. It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, flowers, leaves, vegetable, seeds - spice

How it is grown

Pawpaw seeds grow easily and plants grow quickly. Fresh seeds can be used, or if dry seeds are used they should be soaked before planting. Seeds should be planted with a temperature of 24-30°C. To produce well they need a reasonably fertile soil. Seeds can be sown directly or the seeds can be put in a nursery and the seedlings transplanted. Seeds in a nursery should be about 1-2 cm deep. Seedlings can be transplanted when they are about 20 cm high. Plants should be about 3 m apart. Continuous fruit production depends on fertility, temperature and moisture being adequate to maintain active growth. The fruit is produced year round but the growth and development rate decreases with temperature. Also the size and quality of fruit declines at lower temperatures. Pollination is by wind and insects. Normally cross and self pollination both occur. Pollination is not normally limiting. Seeds are widely dispersed by birds, bats and people. Seeds remain viable for a few months and also germinate freely.

Seeds emerge in 2 to 3 weeks. Vegetative growth before flowering is 4-8 months. Fruit is produced as one or more per leaf axil, about every 1-2 weeks, under good growing conditions. So with good growth 100 fruit can be produced from one plant in a year. Fruit development from pollination to maturity is about 2-3 months. On the coast in tropical equatorial regions, pawpaws start producing fruit after about 4 or 5 months but in the highlands this may not start for 12-18 months. The first fruit produced and ripe, are ready 6-11 months from planting. Practical tree life is about 2 to 3 years, although trees may live for 10-12 years.

Its other names

Local names

Ai-dila, Alola, Amapaapali, Babaya, Babbaay, Baos, Barus, Barush, Bataa maal, Bhanta, Boppayi, Bulung botik, Chipapayi, Daun papaya, Delolo, Du du, Ehi, Esi, 'Esu, Falhoa, Fruta bomba, Gaslabu, Gedang, Gui su bao, Gwanda, Ibekpe, Igi bekpe, Jhoda, Jin gua biu, Kancha pepe, Kates, Kegema, Keinabbu, Keiniap, Kepaya, Ketela, Ma-la-ko, Mak-sang-hpaw, Malagoh, Malaka, Mamiyap, Mamao, Mamon, Manioko, Mbabayu, Maoli uto, Mamiap, Me mao si, Memiap, Mewa, Mophopho, Mpapai, Mulola, Oleti, Ololo, Omita schein, Paipai, Papaali, Papaeira, Papaia, Papaja, Papaye, Papeeta, Papita, Pappaiya, Pappali, Pappayam, Parangi-mara, Pepaya, Pepol, Pai-pai, Pepe, Ran falho, Rangu falho, Ru gua, Sanghpaw, Te mwemweara, Thinbaw, Thingfanghma, Veyo falho, Voampazalahy, Wapai, Wapaya, Weleti, Yapeertora

Synonyms

Carica peltata Hook. & Arn.; Carica posoposa L.; Carica sativa Tussac; Papaya carica Gaertn.; Papaya edulis Bojer; Papaya vulgaris A DC.; and others