THE PAPAW 



THE curious fruit of the Papaw is probably familiar to more people than even the 

 strange fruit of the Persimmon, because the Papaw has a more northward 

 range. It occurs from New Jersey west to Michigan and Nebraska, and is 

 especially abundant in the great Mississippi Valley region, where it often forms the pre- 

 vailing vegetation of the underwoods. For the Papaw is essentially a shade-loving species, 

 its large tropical-looking leaves clustered toward the ends of the branches enabling it to 

 build up materials of growth in comparatively subdued light. In consequence of thus 

 living beneath other trees, it is commonly of a shrub-like form, though under favorable 

 conditions it may become a spreading tree with a height of forty feet and a trunk diameter 

 of ten or twelve inches. It especially occurs in the moist, rich soil of river valleys, where 

 it often grows into dense thickets. 



The blossom of the Papaw is as curious as its fruit. One who is familiar with the 

 flower of the little plant called Wild Ginger can readily get an idea of the Papaw blossom 

 by imagining the latter considerably magnified. The Papaw blossoms are ill-smelling and 

 have a diameter of about two inches, with three hairy, greenish sepals, with six more or 

 less hairy wine-red petals arranged in two rows, the iilllzz ic ^r-bearing. These 



flowers appear in April as the leaves develop, and the fruit matured in autumn. This 

 fruit is suggestive of the tropical Papaw, to which fact its common name is due. It is 

 shaped something like a short banana, and contains inside the green outer skin a soft yellow 

 flesh in which the flat wrinkled seeds are imbedded. The sweetish-pungent taste, with the 

 somewhat disagreeable odor, is not attractive to most people, although apparently a 

 liking for it may be acquired if one begins young enough. 



The Pond Apple (Anona glabra) is another member of the tropical Custard Apple 

 family which occurs as far north as Florida and the Bahama Islands. The largest speci- 

 mens reach a height of forty feet and a trunk diameter of eighteen inches. The fruit is 

 much the size and shape of a long apple, but is not much prized for eating.. 



The tropical Papaw from which the name of our tree is derived is often called the 

 Melon Papaw {Caraca Papaya). It reaches the United States in Southern Florida where 

 its general resemblance to one of the palms is often noted. The leaves are clustered at 

 the top of the trunk and the large fruits are borne just below them. 



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