Trees up to 10 m. tall, unbranched. Leaves soft, long stalked in clusters at the top of the trunk, 30-60 cm long, deeply divided into 7-11 lobes. Petiole longer than the lamina. Flowers unisexual. Male flowers on long axillary drooping peduncles, petals united forming a slender tube. Stamens 10 in two whorls. Female flowers with short peduncles, petals distinct, fleshy, yellowish or cream coloured; pistil with 5 lobed sessile stigma.

A genus with 45 species distributed mostly in tropical America.

Lower Taxon

• Carica papaya Linn.