Papaya

Description:

The papaya tree is a short - lived plant, that can grow anywhere between 16 and as high as 33 feet; thatʻs 5 - 10 meters! There are different varieties of papaya tree, the main difference being the shape of the fruit; smaller, larger, longer, rounder, etc. It has a thin trunk with very skinny branches which reach out and are connected to what can get to be very large leaves, in somewhat of a star shape. When the leaves get older, they start to yellow, and hen brown, and they crumple and become hard and dry. The branches then droop and will sometimes fall off. The fruit starts off as a small white flower, and then grows into a green fruit roughly the average size of an avocado. As the fruit ripens, it turns a yellow - orange.

Habitat:

The papaya tree is thought to have originated from tropical America, such as Mexico or bordering Central America. They grow best in a frost - free environment, with great amounts of sunlight. This specific one was found in Kahaluʻu, on ʻOʻahu.

Notes:

Some uses of the papaya, other than being a food, is that the sap on the surface of fully grown, unripe fruits can be used for crude papain, which is an ingredient in everyday materials including toothpastes, shampoos, and facial creams.