Carica papaya

Carica papaya

It is commonly known as papaya, melon tree, papau, papaya, pawpaw, tree melon. It contains
15,15'-cis-Phytoene, Antheraxanthin, Benzyl isothiocyanate, Benzylglucosinolate, beta-Carotene 5,6-epoxide, beta-Cryptoxanthin, Carpaine, Danielone, Gibberellin A1, Gibberellin A3, Gibberellin A35, Gibberellin A55, Isopropylcyclohexane, Mutatochrome, Phytofluene, Sedoheptulose,  and Violaxanthin.

Floral Description:

Small herbaceous tree with white milky juice. trunk with scars of fallen leaves. Leaf blade 30-60 cm long, deeply divided into several lobes which are again divided into smaller lobes with acute apex, petiole 40-100 cm long, 1-3 cm in diameter. Plants mostly dioecious rarely monoecious with fragrant and nocturnal flowers. Male inflorescence 30-100 cm long pendulous raceme. Flower in clusters, sessile. 1.5-2 cm across and 3-6 cm long, calyx small c. 2 mm long, 5-lobed, acute. Corolla tube 3-6 cm long, 5-lobed, twisted in bud, lobes c. 1 x 0.5 cm long, creamy yellow. Stamens 10, in two whorls, outer whorl of the stamens shortly stalked, filaments c. 1.5 mm long, papilose, inner most sessile, anthers 1.5-2 mm long 2-celled dehiscing longitudinally, basifixed. In female plant 2-4 floral bud arise in the leaf axil, one of which becomes a complete flower; other floral buds fall off, sometimes one or two of them grow a little but never reach maturity, so flower seems to he solitary axillary. Peduncle short 1-2 cm long. Bracts fleshy, leaf, 1-2 cm long, caducous. Calyx united 5-lobed 5-8 mm long; acute, green and fleshy. Petals 5-6.5 x 1.6-1.8 cm, lanceolate, obtuse; stigma lobes fimbriate, c. 6 mm long: ovary 3.5-4 x 1.5-1.8 cm, some plants with female flower at the end of the branches of male inflorescence, producing elongated and smaller fruit. Fruit large spherical or pyriform usually 20-30 x 8-15 cm, turning yellow or orange with yellow or orange flesh. Seeds black, wrinkled, each enclosed in gelatinous membrane, oval in shape, c. 2 mm in diameter.

 

Common Names

in Arabic: fafy, pawpaw
African names: anbah hindi, babaya, babog fruta bomba, etighi-mbakara, gwandu, ibepe, okworo-beke, papayu, sayinbo
in Burkina Faso: mandé, nassara krou, papai
in Congo: ipapayo, malulo, mapapayo, mululo

in Ivory Coast: m’bomou, manguiè iri, oflè, oloko
in Mali: manayi, maye
in Nigeria: gbegbere, gonda, gwadda, gwanda, gwauda, ibepe, ibepe dudu, isigun, ojo, sheyinbo, shigun, sigu
in Senegal: papayo
in Tanzania: ebabayo, mgosi, mpapaya
in West Africa: an papai, fakai laa
in Burma: thimbaw
in Cambodia: doeum lahong, lhong
in China: fan kua (= foreign melon), fan mu gua, mu kua, shu kua, wan shou kuo (= longevity fruit)
in India: aanabahe-hindi, akka thangi hannu, amba-hindi, amita, amritobonda, anda karbhooja, andakharbuja, apappaya-pazham, arand kharbuza, arandkharbuza, awathabi, bapaipundoo, bappangaayi, bappangayi, bappayi, bappayya, barangi, bobbasi, booppamkaya, boppaayi, boppai, boppasa, boppayi, boppayi-hannu, boppayi-pandu, boppayya, boppe, brahmairandah, chakma, chirbhita, chirbita, cittamukkicam, cittamukkikamaram, conkarikam, conkarikamaram, erandachirbhata, erandachirbhita, erandakarakati, erandakarkati, goppe, goppe hannu, goppen, kaniyamanakku, kapalam, kaplam, kappalam, kariyamanakku, karmmatti, karmmos, karmmosu, karmmusu, karmosu, karpakkini, karpakkinimaram, karumusa, karutha, kogiagiula, lan fut, madana anapa chettu, madana-anapakaya, madanaanapa, madananaba, madhukarkati, madhurnakam, madhurnakamu, mangchupi- alau, maniyamanakku, mewa, nalikadala, nam-chapi, nuh-nun, nuhnun, omita, ommai, ommal, pacalai, pangi, papaaya, papajamaram, papal, papay, papaya, papeeta, papeya, papita, papita desi, papitha, papiya, pappai, pappaiya, pappali, pappali-pazham, pappalikaimaram, pappalippal, pappangaye, pappangayi, pappay, pappaya, pappaya-pazham, pappayam, pappayambalam, pappayampazham, pappayi, pappayi-pazham, pappita, parangi, parangi chakke, parangi hannu, parangi hannu mara, parangi mara, parangiyamanakku, parankiyamanakku, parinda, parindhi, paringi, pasalai, pepiya, peragi, perinji, pharangi-hannu, piranji, popai, popaiya, popaiyab, popaiyah, poppaya, poppayi, poppoia, puppali pullum, thing-fang-hma, thingfanghma, thingfanghana, umbalay
in Indonesia: asawa, bala, betik, botik, embetik, gedang, ghedang, hango, kabaleo, kalailu, kaliki nikanre, kaliki rianre, kalilki, kalujawa, kampaja, kapala, kapalay, kapaya, kasi, katela gantung, kates, katuka, kaut, ketes, manjan, menam, muku jawa, muu jawa, nikanre, padu, palaki, pancene, panya, papae, papaen, papaino, papaipapaya, papau, papaya, pastelo, patuka, paya, pepaya, papayu, peute, pisang, pisang patuka, pisang pelo, punti kayu, ralempaya, sampain, sempawa, si kailo, siberani, sumoyori, tangan-tangan, tapaya, tele, unit jawa

in Japan: manjui, papaia

in Laos: houng
in Lepcha: mayaapaot
in Malaysia: beteh, betek, betik, ketalah, ketelah, papaw
in Nepal: mewa
in Papua New Guinea: bambusi, kowai, loku, mamioko, papae, pawpau, pawpaw, popo, tapeka, wayoye
in Philippines: apayas, capaya, kapaya, kapayas, lapaya,
papaya, papayas, papaye, papyas, pawpaw, tapayas
in Thailand: kuai-la, lo-ko, loko, ma kuai thet, ma-la-ko, mak-hung, ma-te, malakor, taeng-ton
in Vietnam: du du
in Hawaii: he’i, mikana, milikana
in Paraguay: namona

 

Scientific Names
Carica papaya L.

Carica papaya var. bady Aké Assi 

Carica papaya f. correae Solms 

Carica papaya f. ernstii Solms 

Carica papaya var. jimenezii Bertoni 

Carica papaya f. mamaya (Vell.) Stellfeld 

Carica papaya f. portoricensis (Urb.) Solms

Medicinal Properties and Uses:

Milky sap caustic, allergic reaction, dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma, anaphylaxis, severe inflammation of the eye. Milky juice for skin diseases, horny excrescence, for inducing abortion. Leaves, roots and seeds pesticide, against insects, fungi. Fresh fruits carminative, astringent, diuretic, antiseptic, stomachic, taken in dysentery; green fruit on ringworm; green papaya used as contraceptive and abortifacient, unripened fruit taken before three months of pregnancy; latex from fruit applied over scorpion bite. Leaves decoction taken for malaria; crushed leaves used externally for headaches, cuts and a swollen groin; leaves and seeds for the treatment of amebiasis and as an anthelmintic. Seeds oxytocic, antiinflammatory, anthelmintic, analgesic, stomachic and antifungal; immature seeds swallowed to treat diarrhea. Extract from boiled stem bark given in urinary troubles; inner bark decoction drunk for toothache; stem bark paste applied to boils, cuts and wounds. Fresh roots rubefacient, analgesic, poultice of roots used for centipede bites, wounds, snakebite. Leaves, roots and seedlings used as a vermifuge.