Papaya dinnyefa (Carica papaya) Rocalba

Papaya dinnyefa (Carica papaya)

Package content 0,5 g

Palm-like, unbranched trunk 8-10 m tall. The leaves are arranged in a cluster at the top of the trunk. Each petiole can be up to 60 cm long. The tiny, greenish stamens are borne singly or in clusters of two or three on the upper part of the stem.

Similar in appearance to cantaloupes, when ripe the orange 20-30 cm long berries develop on the upper part of the stem, under the corolla. A single papaya fruit can weigh up to 5 kg. The pink or orange flesh is about 3 cm thick. Black, pea-sized seeds fill the central cavity of the fruit.

It is cultivated in tropical areas; in Mexico it was cultivated centuries before the classic Central American cultures.

It is a popular fruit in many places. It is also used in salads, cakes and drinking juices. Its juice is a sour, refreshing drink.

Its fruit is also recommended for the treatment of certain digestive disorders (gastric acid indigestion, migraines due to digestive problems, flatulence, pancreatic insufficiency). Its extracts are also used to treat various intestinal parasites (Oxyuris, Ascaris, Ancylostoma), as well as varicose ulcers, haemorrhoids and skin problems (abscesses, sores and various skin diseases). In the tropics, the pulp is wrapped in the plant's own leaves to soften them.