THE PAPAW FAMILY. 



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times on the stems below the leaves, solitary or in short 

 racemes, unisexual. Fruit succulent, gourd- like. 



A small family, not exceeding 30 species ; the whole, with 

 the exception of the genus Carica^ being natives of temperate 

 and tropical countries of the Eastern hemisphere. The 

 species of Carica are natives of tropical America and the 

 West Indies. 



Papaw Tree {^Carica papaya). A small tree, about 20 feet 

 in height, thick and gouty at the base, and of a spongy tex- 

 ture, bearing a crown of palmate leaves on long stalks. 

 Fruit 8 to 10 inches long, of a yellow colour, and shaped 

 like a vegetable marrow ; some round like a melon. It is 

 cultivated in most tropical countries, and the juice of the 

 fruit and leaves has the singular property of making fresh 

 animal flesh quickly tender ; this is effected even by simply 

 hanging the flesh in the tree under the leaves. The leaves 

 are also saponaceous, and are used as a substitute for soap. 

 The milky juice of the young fruit is admitted to be a 

 powerful vermifuge. They are also used in curries, and 

 made into preserves and pickles. 



Carica spinosa, A branching tree, 20 to 30 feet high, 

 native of Guiana and Brazil. The juice is exceedingly 

 acrid, causing blisters to the skin, and. is much dreaded. 

 The fruit is not eaten ; and the flowers have a carrion-like 

 odour. 



In alhance with PapayacecE^ is a small family called 

 Pangiacecs^ consisting of about a dozen species of large trees, 

 with simple, entire, partially lobed, alternate leaves, uni- 

 sexual flowers, and succulent fruit (in some about the size 

 of an apple), containing fatty albumen. They are natives of 

 Ceylon, India, and Malay Islands, and are chiefly represented 

 by species of Hydnocarpus ; they all possess highly poisonous 

 qualities. The bruised seeds of H. inehrians are used for 

 poisoning fish, and also for the cure of skin diseases through- 

 out India. 



Fanguim edule, a native of Java, has hard solid wood ; the 

 bark is used for poisoning fish, and the nuts, when macerated 

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