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{{short description|Species of tropical fruit plant}}
{{Hatnote|This article is about the papaya. Not to be confused with the South American [[Mountain papaya]] or the Eastern North American "[[Asimina triloba|pawpaw]]". For other ''mugua'' see ''[[Chaenomeles speciosa]]'' or ''[[Pseudocydonia|Pseudocydonia chinensis]]''. For other uses, see [[Papaya (disambiguation)]].}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=3}}
{{stack begin | float=right}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Papaya
| image = Koeh-029.jpg
| image_caption = Plant and fruit, from Koehler's ''Medicinal-Plants'' (1887)
| status = DD
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn | author = Contreras, A. | title = ''Carica papaya'' | article-number = e.T20681422A20694916 | year = 2016 | access-date = 4 January 2022}}</ref>
| genus = Carica
| species = papaya
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]<ref name=grin>{{ cite web |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?9147 |title=''Carica papaya'' L. |publisher=U.S. National Plant Germplasm System |date=9 May 2011 |access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref>
}}
{{stack end}}
The '''papaya''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ə|ˈ|p|aɪ|ə}}, {{IPAc-en|US|p|ə|ˈ|p|ɑː|j|ə}}), '''papaw''', ({{IPAc-en|p|ə|ˈ|p|ɔː}}<ref name="Collins2">{{cite web|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/american/papaw?showCookiePolicy=true|title=Papaw
|access-date=25 April 2014|publisher=Collins Dictionary|date=n.d.}}</ref>) or '''pawpaw''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɔː|p|ɔː}}<ref name="Collins2"/>)<ref>In [[North America]], [[asimina triloba|papaw]] or pawpaw usually means the plant belonging to the [[Annonaceae]] family or its fruit. Ref.: [[Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary]] (2009), published in United States.</ref> is the plant species '''''Carica papaya''''', one of the 21 accepted species in the [[genus]] ''[[Carica]]'' of the family [[Caricaceae]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000006717#children |title= ''Carica'' L. |date= 2022 |website= World Flora Online |publisher= World Flora Consortium |access-date= 17 November 2022}}</ref> ''Papaya'' is also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in [[Mesoamerica]], within modern-day southern Mexico and [[Central America]].<ref name="morton">{{cite web |last= Morton |first= Julia F. |year=1987 |title= Papaya; In: Fruits of Warm Climates |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/papaya_ars.html |access-date=27 October 2023 |publisher=Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products|pages=336–346}}</ref><ref name="frontiers">{{cite journal|last1=Chávez-Pesqueira |first1=Mariana |last2=Núñez-Farfán |first2=Juan |date=1 December 2017 |title=Domestication and Genetics of Papaya: A Review |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution|volume=5|article-number=155 |doi=10.3389/fevo.2017.00155 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2017FrEEv...5..155C}}</ref> It is grown in several countries in regions with a tropical climate. In 2022, India produced 38% of the world's supply of papayas.

==Etymology==
The word ''papaya'' derives from the Caribbean [[Taíno_language|Taíno]] "paapaía" and is also the name for the plant. Some etymologists argue that the word comes from the [[Mayan_languages|Mayan]] "páapay-ya", which means "mottled [[sapote]]". However, the most commonly accepted etymology is the Taíno one, although it is possible that both word origins are interrelated. The name ''papaw'' or ''pawpaw'' is used alternatively for the fruit only in some regions, that name generally referring to ''[[Asimina triloba]]'', an unrelated tree and fruit.<ref name=morton/><ref>{{OEtymD|papaw|accessdate=17 November 2022}}</ref>

==Description==
The papaya is a small, sparsely branched tree, usually with a single [[Plant stem|stem]] growing from {{convert|5|to|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, with [[Spiral|spirally]] arranged leaves confined to the top of the [[trunk (botany)|trunk]]. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, {{convert|50|-|70|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter, deeply [[Glossary of leaf shapes|palmate]]ly lobed, with seven lobes. All plant parts contain [[latex]] in articulated [[Laticifer|laticifers]].<ref name=Heywood/>
{{gallery|mode=packed
|Plàntula de papaia.jpg|Seedlings
|Octastichous Phyllotaxy of Papaya leaves.jpg|Coiled [[phyllotaxy]] of papaya leaves
|Carica papaya leaf 14 07 2012.jpg|Leaf
}}

===Flowers===
Papayas are [[dioecious]]. The flowers are five-parted and highly dimorphic; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. There are two different types of papaya flowers. The female flowers have a superior ovary and five contorted petals loosely connected at the base.<ref name="RonseDeCraene">{{Cite book |last = Ronse De Craene |first = L.P. |date = 2010 |title = Floral diagrams: an aid to understanding flower morphology and evolution |publisher = Cambridge University Press |location = Cambridge |isbn = 978-0-521-49346-8 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=24p-LgWPA50C}}</ref>{{rp|235}}

Male and female flowers are borne in the leaf axils; the male flowers are in multiflowered [[Glossary of botanical terms#Dichasium|dichasia]], and the female ones are in few-flowered dichasia.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} The pollen grains are elongated and approximately 35 microns in length.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and are wind- or insect-pollinated.<ref name=Heywood/><ref name="WIFSS" /><ref name="FruitsAndNuts"/>
{{gallery|mode=packed
|File:Carica papaya flower and bud.jpg|Papaya flower
|Carica papaya at Kadavoor.jpg|Buds
|Carica papaya 004.JPG|Female flowers
|Papaya flowers @ Kanjirappally.jpg|Male flowers
|Carica papaya1.jpg|Close-up of male flowers
|Pollens of Carica papaya .jpg|Pollen grains
}}

===Fruit===
The fruit is a large berry about {{convert|15|-|45|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} long and {{convert|10|-|30|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} in diameter.<ref name=Heywood>{{cite book |first1=V.H. |last1=Heywood |first2=R.K. |last2=Brummitt |first3=A. |last3=Culham |first4=O. |last4=Seberg |year=2007 |title=Flowering plant families of the world |publisher=Firefly Books |isbn=978-1-55407-206-4}}</ref>{{rp|88}} It is ripe when it feels soft (as soft as a ripe avocado or softer) and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue. Along the walls of the large central cavity are attached numerous black seeds.<ref>{{Cite web|title=papaya {{!}} Description, Cultivation, Uses, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/plant/papaya|access-date=2020-07-28|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Fruit of papaya.jpg|Unripe fruit
|Papaya tree DRC.jpg|Mature tree with unripe fruit in [[Kinshasa]]
|Carica papaya 005.JPG|Ripe fruit
|Papaya.jpg|Papayas with yellow flesh
|Papaya - longitudinal section.jpg|Longitudinal section of fruit showing orange flesh and numerous black seeds
|Papaya seeds.jpg|Papaya seeds
}}

{{Infobox genome
| image = 
| caption =
| taxId = 513
| ploidy = diploid
| chromosomes = 36
| size = 372 million bp
| year = 2014
| organelle = 
| organelle-size =
| organelle-year =
}}

===Skin, Seed===
Papaya skin, pulp, and seeds contain a variety of [[phytochemical]]s, including [[carotenoid]]s and [[polyphenol]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rivera-Pastrana |first1=D.M. |last2=Yahia |first2=E.M. |last3=González-Aguilar |first3= G.A. |year=2010 |title=Phenolic and carotenoid profiles of papaya fruit (''Carica papaya'' L.) and their contents under low-temperature storage |journal=J Sci Food Agric |volume=90 |issue=14 |pages=2358–65 |doi=10.1002/jsfa.4092 |pmid=20632382|bibcode=2010JSFA...90.2358R}}</ref> as well as [[benzyl isothiocyanate]]s and benzyl glucosinates, with skin and pulp levels that increase during ripening.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rossetto |first1=M.R. |last2=Oliveira do Nascimento |first2=J.R. |last3=Purgatto |first3=E. |last4=Fabi |first4=J.P. |last5=Lajolo |first5=F.M. |last6=Cordenunsi |first6=B.R. |year=2008 |title=Benzylglucosinolate, benzyl isothiocyanate, and myrosinase activity in papaya fruit during development and ripening |journal=J Agric Food Chem |volume=56 |issue=20 |pages=9592–9 |doi=10.1021/jf801934x |pmid=18826320|bibcode=2008JAFC...56.9592R |url=http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/jf801934x |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The carotenoids, [[lutein]] and [[beta-carotene]], are prominent in the yellow skin, while [[lycopene]] is dominant in the red flesh (table).<ref name="Shen">{{cite journal |last1=Shen |first1=Yan Hong |last2=Yang |first2=Fei Ying |last3=Lu |first3=Bing Guo |last4=Zhao |first4=Wan Wan |last5=Jiang |first5=Tao |last6=Feng |first6=Li |last7=Chen |first7=Xiao Jing |last8=Ming |first8=Ray |date=2019-01-16 |title=Exploring the differential mechanisms of carotenoid biosynthesis in the yellow peel and red flesh of papaya |journal=BMC Genomics |volume=20 |issue=1 |page=49 |doi=10.1186/s12864-018-5388-0 |issn=1471-2164 |pmc=6335806 |pmid=30651061 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Papaya seeds also contain the [[cyanogenic]] substance [[prunasin]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Seigler |first1=D.S. |last2=Pauli |first2=G.F. |last3=Nahrstedt |first3=A. |last4=Leen |first4=R. |year=2002 |title=Cyanogenic allosides and glucosides from Passiflora edulis and Carica papaya |journal=Phytochemistry |volume=60 |issue=8 |pages=873–82 |doi=10.1016/s0031-9422(02)00170-x |pmid=12150815|bibcode=2002PChem..60..873S}}</ref> The green fruit contains [[papain]],<ref name="morton"/> a [[cysteine protease]] enzyme used to tenderize meat (see [[#Uses-papain|below]]).

==Distribution and habitat==
Native to tropical America, papaya originates from southern Mexico and Central America.<ref name="morton"/><ref name="frontiers"/><ref name=Heywood/> Papaya is also considered native to southern Florida, introduced by predecessors of the [[Calusa]] no later than AD 300.<ref name="irc">{{cite magazine |last=Ward |first=Daniel |date=2011 |title=Papaya |url=https://regionalconservation.org/ircs/pdf/Ward_2011.pdf |magazine=The Palmetto |access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref> Spaniards introduced papaya to the [[Old World]] in the 16th century.<ref name="morton"/> Papaya cultivation is now nearly [[pantropical]], spanning Hawaii, Central Africa, India, and Australia.<ref name="morton"/>

Wild populations of papaya are generally confined to naturally disturbed tropical forests.<ref name="frontiers"/> Papaya is found in abundance on [[Everglades]] [[Tropical Hardwood Hammock|hammocks]] following major hurricanes, but is otherwise infrequent.<ref name="irc"/> In the rain forests of southern Mexico, papaya thrives and reproduces quickly in canopy gaps while dying off in the mature closed-canopy forests.<ref name="frontiers"/>

==Ecology==
{{See also|List of papaya diseases}}
[[File:Papaya and birds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Various birds eating papayas]]

===Viruses===
[[Papaya ringspot virus]] is a well-known virus within plants in Florida.<ref name="morton" /> The first signs of the virus are yellowing and vein-clearing of younger leaves and mottling yellow leaves. Infected leaves may obtain blisters, roughen, or narrow, with blades sticking upwards from the middle of the leaves. The petioles and stems may develop dark green greasy streaks and, in time, become shorter. The ringspots are circular, C-shaped markings that are a darker green than the fruit. In the later stages of the virus, the markings may become gray and crusty. Viral infections impact growth and reduce the fruit's quality. One of the biggest effects that viral infections have on papaya is taste. As of 2010, the only way to protect papaya from this virus is [[Genetically modified food|genetic modification]].<ref name="papaya ringspot">{{cite web |author1=Gonsalves, D. |author2=Tripathi, S. |author3=Carr, J.B. |author4=Suzuki, J.Y. |year=2010 |title=Papaya ringspot virus |url=https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=231839}}</ref>

The [[papaya mosaic virus]] destroys the plant until only a small tuft of leaves is left. The virus affects both the leaves of the plant and the fruit. Leaves show thin, irregular, dark-green lines around the borders and clear areas around the veins. The more severely affected leaves are irregular and linear in shape. The virus can infect the fruit at any stage of its maturity. Fruits as young as two weeks old have been spotted with dark-green ringspots about 1 inch (25&nbsp;mm) in diameter. Rings on the fruit are most likely seen on either the stem end or the blossom end. In the early stages of the ringspots, the rings tend to be many closed circles, but as the disease develops, the rings increase in diameter consisting of one large ring. The difference between the ringspot and the mosaic viruses is the ripe fruit in the ringspot has a mottling of colors, and the mosaic does not.<ref name="papaya mosaic">{{cite web |last1=Hine |first1=B.R. |last2=Holtsmann |first2=O.V. |last3=Raabe |first3=R.D. |date=July 1965 |title=Disease of papaya in Hawaii |url=http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/B-136.pdf}}</ref>

===Fungi and oomycetes===
The fungus [[anthracnose]] attacks papaya, especially mature fruits. The disease starts small with very few signs, such as water-soaked spots on ripening fruits. The spots become sunken, turn brown or black, and may get bigger. In some of the older spots, the fungus may produce pink spores. The fruit ends up being soft and having an off flavor because the fungus grows into the fruit.<ref name="test">{{cite web |last1=Mossler |first1=M. A. |last2=Crane |first2=J. |date=2008 |title=Florida crop/pest management profile: papaya |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PI/PI05300.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630121711/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PI/PI05300.pdf |archive-date=30 June 2017 |publisher=University of Florida}}</ref>

The fungus [[powdery mildew]] occurs as a superficial white presence on the leaf's surface, which is easily recognized. Tiny, light yellow spots begin on the lower surfaces of the leaf as the disease starts to make its way. The spots enlarge, and white powdery growth appears on the leaves. The infection usually appears at the upper leaf surface as white fungal growth. Powdery mildew is not as severe as other diseases.<ref name="powdery mildew">{{cite web |author1=Cunningham, B. |author2=Nelson, S. |date=June 2012 |title=Powdery mildew of papaya in Hawaii |url=http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-90.pdf}}</ref>

The fungus-like oomycete ''[[Phytophthora]]'' causes damping-off, [[root rot]], stem rot, stem girdling, and fruit rot. Damping-off happens in young plants by wilting and death. The spots on established plants start as white, water-soaked lesions at the fruit and branch scars. These spots enlarge and eventually cause death. The disease's most dangerous feature is the fruit's infection, which may be toxic to consumers.<ref name="test" /> The roots can also be severely and rapidly infected, causing the plant to brown and wilt away, collapsing within days.

===Pests===
The [[papaya fruit fly]] lays its eggs inside of the fruit, possibly up to 100 or more eggs.<ref name="morton" /> The eggs usually hatch within 12 days when they begin to feed on seeds and interior parts of the fruit. When the [[larva]]e mature, usually 16 days after being hatched, they eat their way out of the fruit, drop to the ground, and [[pupa]]te in the soil to emerge within one to two weeks later as mature flies. The infected papaya turns yellow and drops to the ground after the papaya fruit fly infestation.<ref name="test" />

The [[two-spotted spider mite]] is a 0.5-mm-long brown or orange-red or a green, greenish-yellow translucent oval pest. They all have needle-like piercing-sucking mouthparts and feed by piercing the plant tissue with their mouthparts, usually on the underside of the plant. The spider mites spin fine threads of webbing on the host plant, and when they remove the sap, the mesophyll tissue collapses, and a small chlorotic spot forms at the feeding sites. The leaves of the papaya fruit turn yellow, gray, or bronze. If the spider mites are not controlled, they can cause the death of the fruit.<ref name="test" />

The papaya whitefly lays yellow, oval eggs that appear dusted on the undersides of the leaves. They eat papaya leaves, therefore damaging the fruit. There, the eggs developed into flies in three stages called instars. The first instar has well-developed legs and is the only mobile immature life stage. The crawlers insert their mouthparts in the lower surfaces of the leaf when they find it suitable and usually do not move again in this stage. The next instars are flattened, oval, and scale-like. In the final stage, the pupal whiteflies are more convex, with large, conspicuously red eyes.<ref name="test" />

Papayas are one of the most common hosts for fruit flies like [[Anastrepha suspensa|''A. suspensa'']], which lay their eggs in overripe or spoiled papayas. The larvae of these flies then consume the fruit to gain nutrients until they can proceed into the pupal stage. This parasitism has led to extensive economic costs for nations in Central America.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sivinski |first1=J.M. |last2=Calkins |first2=C. O. |last3=Baranowski |first3=R. |last4=Harris |first4=D. |last5=Brambila |first5=J. |last6=Diaz |first6=J. |last7=Burns |first7=R.E. |last8=Holler |first8=T. |last9=Dodson |first9=G. |date=April 1996 |title=Suppression of a Caribbean Fruit Fly (Anastrepha suspensa(Loew) Diptera: Tephritidae) Population through Augmented Releases of the ParasitoidDiachasmimorpha longicaudata(Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) |journal=Biological Control |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=177–185 |doi=10.1006/bcon.1996.0022 |bibcode=1996BiolC...6..177S |issn=1049-9644}}</ref>

==Cultivation==
Historical accounts from 18th-century travelers and botanists suggested that papaya seeds were transported from the Caribbean to [[Malacca City|Malacca]] and then to India. From Malacca or the Philippines, papaya spread throughout Asia and into the South Pacific region. Credit for introducing papaya to Hawaii is often given to [[Francisco de Paula Marín]], a Spanish explorer and horticulturist, who brought it from the Marquesas Islands in the early 1800s. Since then, papaya cultivation has expanded to all tropical countries and many subtropical regions worldwide. Today, papaya is grown extensively across the globe, owing to its adaptability to various climates and its popularity as a tropical fruit.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duarte O |first=Paull RE |title=Tropical Fruits, 1. |date=2010 |publisher=Wallingford : CABI}}</ref>

Papaya plants grow in three sexes: male, female, and [[hermaphrodite]]. The male produces only [[pollen]], never fruit. The female produces small, inedible fruits unless pollinated. The hermaphrodite can self-pollinate since its flowers contain both male [[stamen]]s and female [[ovary (botany)|ovaries]]. Almost all commercial papaya orchards contain only hermaphrodites.<ref name="FruitsAndNuts">{{cite journal |url=http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-5.pdf |title=Why Some Papaya Plants Fail to Fruit |last1=Chia |first1=C. L. |last2=Manshardt |first2=Richard M. |journal= Fruits and Nuts |publisher=College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |date=October 2001 |access-date=1 April 2015 |pages= 1–2}}</ref>

Originally from southern Mexico (particularly [[Chiapas]] and [[Veracruz]]), [[Central America]], northern [[South America]], and southern Florida<ref name="morton"/><ref name="irc"/> the papaya is now cultivated in most tropical countries. In cultivation, it grows rapidly, fruiting within three years. It is, however, highly frost-sensitive, limiting its production to [[tropics|tropical climates]]. Temperatures below {{convert|29|F|C|order=flip}} are greatly harmful, if not fatal. In Florida, California, and Texas, growth is generally limited to the southern parts of those states. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil, as standing water can kill the plant within 24 hours.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boning|first=Charles R.|title=Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines|year=2006|publisher=Pineapple Press, Inc.|location=Sarasota, Florida|pages=166–167}}</ref>

===Cultivars===
Two kinds of papayas are commonly grown. One has sweet, red, or orange flesh, and the other has yellow flesh; in [[Australia]], these are called "red papaya" and "yellow papaw," respectively.<ref name=HortAustralia>{{cite web|title=Papaya Varieties|url=http://australianpapaya.com.au/about/varieties/|date=2015|publisher=Papaya Australia|access-date=9 December 2015|archive-date=6 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206041136/http://australianpapaya.com.au/about/varieties/}}</ref> Either kind, picked green, is called a "green papaya."{{Cn|date=September 2023}}

The large-fruited, red-fleshed 'Maradol,' 'Sunrise,' and 'Caribbean Red' papayas often sold in U.S. markets are commonly grown in Mexico and [[Belize]].<ref name="morton"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Sagon|first=Candy|title=Maradol Papaya|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26970-2004Oct12.html|work=Market Watch (13 Oct 2004)|publisher=The Washington Post|access-date=21 July 2011|date=13 October 2004}}</ref>

In 2011, Philippine researchers reported that by [[hybrid (biology)|hybridizing]] papaya with ''[[Vasconcellea quercifolia]]'', they had developed papaya resistant to [[papaya ringspot virus]] (PRV),<ref>{{cite journal|title=Papaya ringspot virus resistance in Carica papaya via introgression from Vasconcellea quercifolia |doi=10.1007/s10681-011-0388-z |publisher=SpringerLink |volume=181 |issue=2 |journal=Euphytica |pages=159–168|year=2011 |last1=Siar |first1=S. V. |last2=Beligan |first2=G. A. |last3=Sajise |first3=A. J. C. |last4=Villegas |first4=V. N. |last5=Drew |first5=R. A. |bibcode=2011Euphy.181..159S |s2cid=40741527}}</ref> part of a long line of attempts to transfer resistance from ''[[Vasconcellea]]'' species into papaya.<ref name=OpD2017>{{cite journal |last1=Ordaz-Pérez |first1=Daniela |last2=Gámez-Vázquez |first2=Josué |last3=Hernández-Ruiz |first3=Jesús |last4=Espinosa-Trujillo |first4=Edgar |last5=Rivas-Valencia |first5=Patricia |last6=Castro-Montes |first6=Ivonne |title=Resistencia de Vasconcellea cauliflora al Virus de la mancha anular de la papaya-potyvirus (PRSV-P) y su introgresión en Carica papaya |journal=Revista Mexicana de Fitopatología, Mexican Journal of Phytopathology |date=2 September 2017 |volume=35 |issue=3 |doi=10.18781/r.mex.fit.1703-4|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Genetically engineered cultivars===
''Carica papaya'' was the first [[transgenic]] [[fruit tree]] to have its [[genome]] sequenced.<ref name="ugr.es">{{cite journal|url=https://www.nature.com/news/2008/080423/full/news.2008.772.html|title=Papaya genome project bears fruit|last=Borrell|journal=Ugr.es|year=2008|doi=10.1038/news.2008.772|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In response to the [[papaya ringspot virus]] outbreak in Hawaii in 1998, genetically altered papaya were approved and brought to market (including 'SunUp' and 'Rainbow' varieties.) Varieties resistant to PRV have some DNA of this virus incorporated into the plant's DNA.<ref name="mhhe">{{cite web|url=http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/pae/botany/botany_map/articles/article_03.html|title= Genetically Altered Papayas Save the Harvest|work=mhhe.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaiipapaya.com/rainbow.htm |title=Hawaiipapaya.com |publisher=Hawaiipapaya.com |access-date=2013-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107073644/http://www.hawaiipapaya.com/rainbow.htm |archive-date=2015-01-07}}</ref> As of 2010, 80% of Hawaiian papaya plants were genetically modified. The modifications were made by [[University of Hawaiʻi]] scientists, who made the modified seeds available to farmers without charge.<ref>Ronald, Pamela and McWilliams, James (14 May 2010) [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/opinion/15ronald.html?_r=2&ref=opinion Genetically Engineered Distortions] The New York Times, accessed 1 October 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harc-hspa.com/publications/TF5.pdf|title=TF5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331180723/http://www.harc-hspa.com/publications/TF5.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2012}}</ref>

In transgenic papaya, resistance is produced by inserting the viral coat protein gene into the plant's genome. Doing so seems to cause a similar protective reaction in the plant to ''cross-protection'', which involves using an attenuated virus to protect against a more dangerous strain. Conventional varieties of transgenic papaya has reduced resistance against heterologous (not closely related to the coat gene source) strains, forcing different localities to develop their own transgenic varieties. As of 2016, one transgenic line appears able to deal with three different heterologous strains in addition to its source.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Ritesh |last2=Gaur |first2=Rajarshi Kumar |last3=Patil |first3=Basavaprabhu L. |chapter=Current Knowledge of Viruses Infecting Papaya and Their Transgenic Management |title=Plant Viruses: Evolution and Management |date=2016 |pages=189–203 |doi=10.1007/978-981-10-1406-2_11|isbn=978-981-10-1405-5}}</ref><ref name=OpD2017/>

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width:12em; text-align:center;"
|+ Papaya production <br>{{small|2023, millions of tonnes}}<br/>
|-
| {{IND}} ||5.24
|-
| {{DOM}} ||1.59
|-
| {{IDN}} ||1.24
|-
| {{MEX}} ||1.15
|-
| {{BRA}} ||1.14
|-
|'''World''' ||'''14.23'''
|-
|colspan=2|{{small|Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]}}<ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC |title= Papaya production in 2023; Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2025|publisher=[[UN Food and Agriculture Organization]], Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref>
|}

===Production===
In 2023, world production of papayas was 14 million [[tonne]]s, led by India with 37% of the total (table). 

Global papaya production grew significantly over the early 21st century, mainly as a result of increased production in India and demand by the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe913|title=An Overview of Global Papaya Production, Trade, and Consumption|publisher=Electronic Data Information Source, University of Florida|access-date=2014-02-07}}</ref> The United States is the largest importer of papayas worldwide.<ref name="WIFSS">{{cite web|title=Papayas|url=https://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Papayas_PDF.pdf|publisher=Western Institute for Food Safety & Security, University of California at Davis|access-date=10 September 2017|date=2016}}</ref>

In South Africa, papaya orchards yield up to 100 tonnes of fruit per hectare.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Botha |first1=Linda |title=Growing papayas: Easy to produce, tricky to market |url=https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/crops/fruit-and-nuts/growing-papayas-easy-to-produce-tricky-to-market/ |date=16 March 2021 |publisher=Farmer's Weekly |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref>

==Toxicity==
Papaya releases a latex fluid when not ripe, possibly causing irritation and an allergic reaction in some people. Because the enzyme [[papain]] acts as an [[allergen]] in sensitive individuals,<ref>{{cite web |date=27 April 2019 |title=Papain |url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/9369 |access-date=29 April 2019 |publisher=National Library of Medicine, US National Institutes of Health}}</ref> meat that has been tenderized with it may induce an [[allergic reaction]].<ref name="morton" />

==Vernacular names==
The papaya plant is known by various regional names in India, reflecting its widespread cultivation and use in local cuisines and traditional medicine.

{| class="wikitable"
! Language !! Vernacular Name !! Script
|-
| Hindi || Papita || पपीता
|-
| Bengali || Pepe || পেঁপে
|-
| Tamil || Pappali || பப்பாளி
|-
| Telugu || Boppayi Pandu || బొప్పాయి పండు
|-
| Kannada || Parangi Hannu || ಪರಂಗಿ ಹಣ್ಣು
|-
| Malayalam || Omakka || ഓമയ്ക്ക 
|}

<ref>{{cite book |last=Nadkarni |first=K. M. |title=Indian Materia Medica |volume=1 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=2002 |pages=223–224 |isbn=978-81-7154-819-4}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite book |last=Warrier |first=P. K. |title=Indian Medicinal Plants: A Compendium of 500 Species |volume=1 |publisher=Orient Longman |year=1993 |pages=330–332 |isbn=978-0-86311-464-9}}</ref>

==Culinary use==
The ripe fruit of the papaya is usually eaten raw, without skin or seeds.<ref name="morton" /> The black seeds are edible and have a sharp, spicy taste.<ref name="morton"/> The unripe green fruit is usually [[cooking|cooked]] due to its [[latex]] content.

{{anchor|Uses-papain}}
Both green papaya fruit and its latex are rich in papain,<ref name="morton"/> a cysteine protease used for tenderizing meat and other proteins, as practiced currently by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous Americans]], people of the Caribbean region, Pacific Islands, and the Philippines.<ref name="morton"/> It is included as a component in some powdered meat tenderizers.<ref name="morton"/> Papaya is not suitable for foods which set due to [[gelatin]] (such as [[Gelatin dessert|jelly]] or [[aspic]]) because the [[Enzyme|enzymatic]] properties of papain prevent gelatin from setting.<ref name=tribune>{{cite news |title=Papaya |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-01-18-0601180220-story.html|author=Donna Pierce|work=The Chicago Tribune|date=2006-01-18|access-date=2020-06-04}}</ref>{{gallery|mode=packed
|Dos Locos - Papaya Juice.jpg|Papaya juice
|Papaya Jam-Kounkane.jpg|Papaya jam from Senegal
}}

===Nutrition===
{{nutritional value
| name = Papayas, raw
| kJ = 179
| protein = 0.47 g
| fat = 0.26 g
| carbs = 10.82 g
| fiber = 1.7 g
| sugars = 7.82 g
| calcium_mg = 20
| iron_mg = 0.25
| magnesium_mg = 21
| phosphorus_mg = 10
| potassium_mg = 182
| sodium_mg = 8
| zinc_mg = 0.08
| manganese_mg = 0.04
| vitC_mg = 62
| thiamin_mg = 0.023
| riboflavin_mg = 0.027
| niacin_mg = 0.357
| vitB6_mg = 0.038
| pantothenic_mg = 0.191
| folate_ug = 38
| vitA_ug = 47
| betacarotene_ug = 274
| lutein_ug = 89
| opt1n = [[Lycopene]]
| opt1v = 1828 µg
| vitE_mg = 0.3
| vitK_ug = 2.6
| water = 88 g
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169926/nutrients Full Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

Raw papaya pulp is 88% water, 11% [[carbohydrate]]s, and contains negligible [[fat]] and [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]] (table). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, papaya fruit provides 43 [[calories|kilocalories]] and is a significant source of [[vitamin C]] (69% of the [[Daily Value]], DV) and a moderate source of [[folate]] (10% DV), but otherwise has a low content of [[micronutrient]]s (table).

===Southeast Asia===
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2023}}
Green papaya is used in [[Southeast Asia]]n cooking, both raw and cooked. In some parts of Asia, the young leaves of the papaya are steamed and eaten like spinach.

In Myanmar, the unripe papaya are cut into slices and dipped into sour, fermented, or spicy seasonings and dips. In Myanmar and Thai recipes, the unripe papaya are cut into thinner slices to make papaya salad.<ref>{{cite web |title=Burmese Papaya Salad (Myanmar Food) | website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gsBsCAwHw}}</ref> The reason the unripe papaya is used is because of the firmer and crunchier texture.

Papayas became a part of [[Filipino cuisine]] after being introduced to the islands via the [[Manila galleon]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alonso |first1=Nestor|title=First Taste Of Mexican Cuisine |url=https://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2009/09/15/505123/first-taste-mexican-cuisine |access-date=15 December 2018 |work=PhilStar Global |date=15 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Champorado and the Manila Galleon Trade |url=http://www.arianabautista.com/arianaeatslumpia/champorado |website=Ariana Eats Lumpia |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-date=15 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815212509/https://www.arianabautista.com/arianaeatslumpia/champorado }}</ref> Unripe or nearly ripe papayas (with orange flesh but still hard and green) are [[julienned]] and are commonly pickled into ''[[atchara]]'', which is ubiquitous as a side dish to salty dishes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Achara |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/achara |website=SBS TV |date=4 December 2014 |access-date=15 December 2018}}</ref> Nearly ripe papayas can also be eaten fresh as ''ensaladang papaya'' (papaya salad) or cubed and eaten dipped in vinegar or salt. Green papaya is also a common ingredient or filling in various savory dishes such as ''[[okoy]]'', ''[[tinola]]'', ''[[ginataan]]'', ''[[lumpia]]'', and ''[[empanada]]'', especially in the cuisines of northern [[Luzon]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The green papaya in Filipino cuisine |url=http://glossaryoffilipinofood.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-green-papaya-in-filipino-cuisine.html |website=Glossary of Filipino Food ...and essays on the world's "original fusion cuisine" too. |access-date=15 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="try">{{cite web |title=What to eat in Philippines? |url=https://foodyoushouldtry.com/eat-philippines-best-philippine-cuisine/ |website=FoodYouShouldTry.com |date=26 October 2017 |access-date=15 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Green Papaya Recipe |url=https://www.vegetarianyums.com/green-papaya-recipe.html |website=Vegetarian Yums |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120172910/https://www.vegetarianyums.com/green-papaya-recipe.html }}</ref>

In [[Indonesian cuisine]], the unripe green fruits and young leaves are boiled for use as part of ''[[lalab]]'' salad, while the flower buds are [[Sautéing|sautéed]] and [[Stir frying|stir-fried]] with chilies and green tomatoes as [[Minahasa people#Cuisine|Minahasan]] papaya flower vegetable dish.

In [[Lao cuisine|Lao]] and [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] cuisine, unripe green papayas are used to make a type of spicy salad known in Laos as ''[[Green papaya salad|tam maak hoong]]'' or ''[[tam som]]'' and in Thailand as ''[[som tam]].'' It is also used in [[Thai curries]], such as ''[[kaeng som]]''.

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Chicken tinola with green papaya and lemongrass.jpg|Green papaya is a traditional main ingredient of ''[[tinola]]'' in the Philippines.
|Atchara (pickled green papaya) - Philippines.jpg|''[[Atchara]]'', [[Filipino cuisine|Filipino]] [[pickled]] green papayas
|Som tam pu.jpg|''[[Som tam]]'', [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] green papaya salad
|Buntil.jpg|''[[Buntil]]'', [[Javanese cuisine|Javanese]] [[anchovies]] wrapped in papaya leaves
|Sukkto.jpg|''Sukto'', [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]] dish with [[bitter gourd]], [[drumstick (fruit)]], papaya, potato, and pumpkin
|File:Carica Papaya Thoran DSC 4459.jpg|Pappaya Thoran, [[Kerala cuisine|Kerala]] dish with papaya and [[Coconut|scraped coconut]] fried in coconut oil.
}}

===South America===
In Brazil and Paraguay, the unripe fruits are used to make sweets or [[fruit preserves|preserves]].{{cn|date=May 2021}}

==Traditional medicine==
In [[traditional medicine]], papaya leaves have been believed useful as a treatment for [[malaria]],<ref name=Titanji>{{cite journal|author1=Titanji, V.P. |author2=Zofou, D. |author3=Ngemenya, M.N. |year=2008 |title= The Antimalarial Potential of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Malaria in Cameroonian Folk Medicine |journal=African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=302–321 |pmc=2816552 |pmid=20161952}}</ref> an [[abortifacient]], a [[Laxative|purgative]], or smoked to relieve [[asthma]].<ref name="morton" />

==See also==
*[[Babaco]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons+cat|Carica papaya}}

*{{wiktionary inline|papaya|papaw}}
*{{Cookbook inline|Papaya}}
*{{cite web | title=Papaya| publisher=California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.|year=1997| url=https://crfg.org/homepage/library/fruitfacts/papaya/}}

{{Caricaceae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q34887}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Papaya| ]]
[[Category:Caricaceae]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Mexico]]
[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
[[Category:Flora of Mexico]]
[[Category:Flora of Central America]]
[[Category:Flora of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Flora of Colombia]]
[[Category:Fruits originating in North America]]
[[Category:Tropical fruit]]
[[Category:Trees of Central America]]
[[Category:Trees of South America]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Central America]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Central America]]
[[Category:Garden plants of South America]]
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]
[[Category:Cauliflory]]
[[Category:Crops originating from indigenous Americans]]
[[Category:Mexican cuisine]]