228 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



blackish seeds, the size of small peas, inclosed by a thin gelat- 

 inous aril. 



The flavor is rather sweet, with a slight musky tang which 

 is sometimes objectionable to the novice, and which varies 

 greatly in degree; the best types being of a bland agreeable 

 taste which is almost sure to be relished. In Brazil the flavor 

 is believed to be improved if the fruit is lightly scored when 

 taken from the tree, and then allowed to stand for a day so 

 that the milky juice may run out. 



The native home of the papaya is known to be in tropical 

 America, but the exact area in which it originated has not been 

 determined. Jacques Huber, after reviewing the evidence 

 presented by Alphonse DeCandolle and others, reached the 

 conclusion that the species originally came from Mexico. 

 Count Solms-Laubach, who monographed the Caricacese, be- 

 lieves that the cultivated papaya may have originated as a 

 cross between some of the species of Carica native to Mexico. 



The plant is now widely distributed. In nearly all parts of 

 tropical America it is one of the common fruits. It is abun- 

 dant in India, Ceylon, and the Malay Archipelago. In Hawaii 

 it probably attains greater comparative importance than in 

 any other region. It is common in Australia, where it is culti- 

 vated as far south as Sydney. 



In the United States it has been planted in Florida and Cali- 

 fornia. It is entirely successful in the southern part of Florida, 

 but in California its cultivation is limited to the most protected 

 situations, and even there the fruit produced is not of good 

 quality. 



The name papaya is held to be a corruption of the Carib 

 ababai. In one form or another it has been carried around the 

 world; papaia, papeya, and papia are some of the corrup- 

 tions which are in use. The English name papaw is widely 

 employed, but in the southern United States its use has the dis- 

 advantage of confusing this fruit with Asimina triloba. The 



