Caricaceae

The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species Carica papaya, one of the 21 accepted species in the genus Carica of the family Caricaceae. Papaya is also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and Central America. It is grown in several countries in regions with a tropical climate. In 2024, India was the leading producer, accounting for 36% of the world total.

The Caricaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, found primarily in tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. They are usually short-lived evergreen pachycaul shrubs or small to medium-sized trees growing to 5–10 m tall. One species, Vasconcellea horovitziana is a liana and the three species of the genus Jarilla are herbs. Some species, such as the papaya, bear edible fruit and produce papain.

thumb|Buds Carica is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae including the papaya (C. papaya syn. C. peltata, C. posoposa), a widely cultivated fruit tree native to the American tropics.

species of plant

Jacaratia is a genus of shrubs or trees in the family Caricaceae. They are native to South and Central America.

Cylicomorpha is a plant genus consisting of two species that are native to the African tropics. They are the only African representatives of the Caricaceae, and are consequently related to the papaya.

species of plant

genus of plants

Horovitzia cnidoscoloides is a plant species in the family Caricaceae, endemic to the cloud forest of Sierra de Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico at elevations of 800 to 1600 meters. It is the only species in the genus Horovitzia. The type specimen was collected in Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca on 9 March 1986