Papaya

Papaya

　　A fast-growing, high-yield tropical fruit tree belonging to the genus Carica in the Caricaceae family. Also known as milk melon or longevity fruit. It is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and became one of the world’s important fruits in the 18th century. It has been introduced to China for over two hundred years and is cultivated in various low-heat river valleys. The main varieties are of the Lingnan type, with a small number of Thai red-flesh types, propagated by seeds. The stem is upright, with few branches, hollow, and can grow up to 8–12 meters in height. Its top is crowned with large palmate leaves, 40–80 cm in diameter, with 5–17 deep lobes. The leaf stalks are hollow, 60–100 cm long. The plant has both monoecious and dioecious varieties; male plants do not bear fruit, while female plants can produce fruit parthenocarpically, though fruit from hermaphroditic flowers develop best. The fruits are oblong, oval, or pear-shaped, weighing 1–2.5 kilograms each. When ripe, the skin turns from green to yellow, and the flesh is orange-yellow or red. The flesh is soft and smooth, rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as sugars and minerals. It is consumed fresh and can also be made into dried fruit, preserves, and jam. Unripe fruits can be used as a vegetable. It has high economic value. The milky white juice of unripe fruits contains large amounts of papain and chymopapain. In recent years, Dehong Prefecture and Yuanmou County have specialized in cultivating papayas specifically for extracting their juice for medicinal use.