papaya
)
Papayas ripening on the tree in Negril, Jamaica. The papaya is a soft, sweet fruit with a high vitamin C content.
Tropical evergreen tree, native from Florida to South America. Varieties are grown throughout the tropics. The edible fruits are like melons, with orange-coloured flesh and large numbers of blackish seeds in the centre; they can weigh up to 9 kg/20 lb. (Carica papaya, family Caricaceae.)
The fruit juice and the tree sap contain papain, an enzyme used to tenderize meat and help digestion.
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|
?Sign in  |
|---|