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Carica papaya Linnaeus. Common name: Papaya. Phenology: Jan-Dec. Habitat: Coastal hammocks, shell middens, disturbed areas, much cultivated but also apparently native. Distribution: S. FL (controversial as to nativity); West Indies; Mexico, Central America, and South America. The issue of the native status of Carica papaya in Florida has been controversial and is discussed at length in Ward (2011c). It is definitely documented as having been present since at least 350 A.D., and is considered to have been likely brought to the mainland from the West Indies by aboriginal populations.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Bah, Fl4, FNA7, K4, Mex, S, S13, WH3. Basionym: Carica papaya L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Carica papaya - FNA7

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: UPL

Heliophily ⓘ: 6

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image of plant© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Chloe and Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Carica papaya (pistillate flowers and fruit), Cutler Hammock, Miami-Dade County, Florida 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cassi saari source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Cressler: Carica papaya (fruit), Cutler Hammock, Miami-Dade County, Florida 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Dutta Roy Sagnik, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dutta Roy Sagnik source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Chloe and Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Francisco V. Bezerra Neto, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Francisco V. Bezerra Neto source CC-BY-SA | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Chloe and Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Francisco V. Bezerra Neto, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Francisco V. Bezerra Neto source CC-BY-SA | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grze Swis, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Grze Swis source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

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