Mountain papaya

This article is about the mountain papaya or mountain paw paw (Vasconcellea pubescens) of the Andes. For the papaya (Carica papaya) widely cultivated throughout the tropics, see Carica papaya. For the Eastern North American tree (and fruit) called "pawpaw", see Asimina triloba.

Mountain papaya
File:Mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens).jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Caricaceae
Genus:	Vasconcellea
Species:	V. pubescens
Binomial name
Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.
Synonyms
Carica pubescens Lenné & K.Koch Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis Badillo Carica candamarcensis Hook.f. Carica cestriflora Solms Carica chiriquensis Woodson Carica cundinamarcensis Linden Carica pubescens Solms Papaya cundinamarcencis Kuntze Papaya pubescens (A. DC.) Kuntze Vasconcellea cestriflora A. DC.

The mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) also known as mountain pawpaw, papayuelo, chamburo, or simply "papaya" is a species of the genus Vasconcellea, native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile, typically growing at altitudes of 1,500–3,000 metres (4,900–9,800 ft) m. It has also been known as Carica pubescens.

Description

Vasconcellea pubescens is an evergreen pachycaul shrub or small tree growing to 10 metres (33 ft) tall.

File:2011.09-385-158arp Mountain papaya(Vasconcellea pubescens),fr(wh,TS) Naivasha-Gilgil(Rift Valley Prov.),KE tue13sep2011-1230h.jpg

A ripe mountain papaya, whole and in cross section (Rift Valley Province, Kenya, September 2011).

The fruit is 6–15 cm long and 3–8 cm broad, with five broad longitudinal ribs from base to apex; it is green, maturing yellow to orange. The fruit pulp is edible, similar to papaya, and is usually cooked as a vegetable. It is also eaten raw.

File:Vasconcellea pubescens.jpg

Leaves of Vasconcellea pubescens

Cultivation

Vasconcellea pubescens is one of the parents of the 'Babaco' papaya, a hybrid cultivar widely grown for fruit production in South America, and in subtropical portions of North America.

External links

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Vasconcellea pubescens
• University of Ghent: Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis
• Tradewinds Fruit Database
• Crops for the Future: Mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens)