PAPAYA TREE

PAPAYA TREE

1. Common & Scientific Name + Family

Common Name: Papaya / Pawpaw / Papaw

Scientific Name: Carica papaya

Family: Caricaceae

2. Local Uses & Fun Facts

🍴 Edible Uses:

Fruits eaten raw or as juice; ripe papaya is sweet and soft.

Unripe green fruits used in curries and pickles.

🌿 Medicinal Uses:

Papain enzyme from fruit and leaves aids digestion and tenderizes meat.

Leaves used in folk medicine for fever, dengue, and digestive issues.

🌳 Fun Facts:

Papaya is a fast-growing, tropical fruit tree.

Native to Central America but widely cultivated in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Flowers can be male, female, or hermaphrodite on the same or different trees.

3. Ecological Role

🐦 Pollinators: Flowers attract bees and butterflies.

🌱 Food Source: Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals, helping in seed dispersal