Papaya

Papaya

Scientific name: Carica papaya L.

Local name      : Pepe

Family             : Caricaceae

Chromosome number: 2n=18

Taxonomic position According to Cronquist (1988)

Video of Papaya

Botanical Description

It is native to the tropics of the America, perhaps from southern Mexico and neighboring Central America.

Habit: The papaya is a large,tree-like plant, with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk.

Root: Tap root

Fig. Stem Anatomy of Papaya

Stem: Large un-branched tree like appearing as a trunk, cylindrical

Fig. Leaf Anatomy of Papaya

Leaf: The leaves emerge directly, spirally, from the upper part of the stem with nearly horizontal,   succulent, hollow petioles, which are 35-90cm long. The leaf is glabrous, up to 75 cm across, blade is dorsiventral.

Fig. Male Flower of Papaya

Fig. Female Flower of Papaya

Flower: Actinomorphic, flowers are male, female, sometimes hermaphrodite, axillary. Flowers have five sepals and five petals. Male plant possesses long inflorescence.

Androecium: Diplostemonous, five pairs of stamens

Gynoecium: Ovary superior, carpel five syncerpous, placentation parietal

Fruit: Berry, fruit vary in size and form, and in thickness, color and flavor of the flesh.

Fig. Papaya Pulp with Seeds

Table 1. Papaya variety developed by Horticultural Research Center, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Bangladesh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Salna, Gazipur, Bangladesh