Papaya
| Papaya | |
|---|---|
| Plant and fruit, from Koehler's Medicinal-Plants (1887) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Caricaceae |
| Genus: | Carica |
| Species: | C. papaya |
| Binomial name | |
| Carica papaya | |
The papaya (/pəˈpaɪə/, US: /pəˈpɑːjə/), papaw, (/pəˈpɔː/) or pawpaw (/ˈpɔːpɔː/) is the plant species Carica papaya, one of the 21 accepted species in the genus Carica of the family Caricaceae, and 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 2022, India produced 38% of the world's supply of papayas.