Tropical melon tree / papaya

Seeds: 30  / Botanical name: Carica papaya

Tropical fruit source - nutritious and delicious

The palm-like papaya is a peculiar plant. Its trunk doesn't become woody, which is why it can't actually be called a tree. And its large fruits are botanically speaking berries. Its leathery, serrated leaves resemble those of a fig and are arranged spirally around the trunk. The blossoms are cream-colored and fragrant. Unripe fruits can be used like vegetables to prepare chutneys, curries, and salsas. The ripe flesh is sweet, and the flavor is enhanced with a little lemon juice or ginger. The name papaya comes from the language of the Arawak Indians, who used the papaya fruit as a medicinal plant. Incidentally, in 2008, the papaya was only the fifth plant whose genome was completely sequenced.

originated in southern Mexico. It was cultivated by the indigenous peoples of Central America and Brazil as early as pre-Columbian times.