| Caricaceae | ||||||||||
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 Carica papaya | ||||||||||
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Caricaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, native to tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. They are short-lived evergreen pachycaul shrubs or small trees growing to 5-10 m tall; many bear edible fruit.
The family comprises five genera and about species:
- Carica – one species Carica papaya (Papaya), Americas
- Cylicomorpha – two species, Africa
- Jacaratia – five species, Americas
- Jarilla – three species, Americas
- Vasconcellea – 20 species, Americas