What is papaya? How many types of papaya are there?

1. Introduction to Papaya

Papaya is a small tree of the genus Chaenomeles in the Rosaceae family, with a height of 5-10 meters and the bark falls off in pieces. The twigs are cylindrical and have no thorns. They are hairy when they first grow out, but then fall off. They are purple-red in color. The leaves are ovate or oblong with a pointed tip. The flowers are usually solitary in the leaf axils, the pedicels are thick and short, the petals are obovate, and the color is light pink. It is a type of crabapple. The fruit is oblong, dark yellow in color and has a fragrant aroma.

2. Types

1. Wrinkled papaya: This is a small shrub, about 1-2 meters tall. The flowers are scarlet, but can also be pale red or white, but these are rare. Its flowering period is from March to May every year, and the fruit will not mature until September or October. The fruit is spherical in shape, with a diameter of 4-6 cm and a relatively low lignin content. It has high medicinal value, and can be used to make preserved fruits and sauces.

2. Hairy-leaf papaya: This is a small tree or shrub that can grow to 2-6 meters in height. The flowers usually open before the leaves, are white or light pink in color, and grow in clusters of 2-3. The fruit is oval, and some are nearly cylindrical, but there is a protrusion on the top, and the surface is yellow with a red blush. It is mainly distributed in Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan and other places in my country.

3. Smooth-skinned papaya: The scientific name of this one is papaya, but it is different from the common one on the market. Another scientific name should be Carica papaya. It is distributed in many places in our country. It is very good whether as an ornamental flower or as an edible fruit. It is called smooth skin because the skin will not shrink after drying.

4. Papaya: This plant is different from the previous three. It belongs to the genus Carica of the family Caricaceae. The flowers are either unisexual or bisexual. The male flowers are panicles with creamy yellow corollas and 5 petals, while the female flowers are umbels, mostly creamy yellow or yellowish white. Its fruit is a fleshy berry, which is yellow when ripe and tastes sweet.