Papaya, Carica papaya L., is an almost herbaceous (succulently
soft-wooded), typically unbranched small tree in the family
Caricaceae. Europeans first encountered papaya in the Western
Hemisphere tropics by at least the early 1500s, and various
interests were soon disseminating it widely. Papaya is now
cultivated worldwide in tropical and subtropical climates mainly
for its melon-like fruit.