Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1901. 
Story  of  the  Pap  aw. 
279 
and  to  give  stability  to  the  tree.  These  roots  are  similar  in  struc- 
ture to  the  trunk,  except  for  a  white  bark,  and  possess  an  odor  of 
cabbage  and  a  peculiar  taste  suggesting  radishes.  The  leaf  stems 
are  large  and  hollow,  cylindrical  toward  the  leaf  and  flattened  at  the 
point  where  they  join  with  the  stalk.  The  leaves  are  large  palm- 
lobed,  with  somewhat  deep  indentations,  dark  green  on  the  upper 
and  light  green  on  the  under  side.  They  are  short-lived  and,  as  the 
tree  shoots  upward,  they  drop  off,  leaving  scarry  marks  in  the  bark 
of  the  tree  trunk. 
The  locality  where  grown,  as  well  as  the  effects  of  cultivation, 
modify  the  character  of  this  plant,  hence  we  find  on  record  varying 
descriptions  and  statements.  Among  the  notable  varieties  of  the 
Carica  Papaya  are  the  green  and  violet.  The  latter  species  which 
has  had  considerable  attention  paid  to  it,  is  the  one  most  highly 
esteemed  for  cultivation,  but  does  not  attain  great  height.  The  stalk 
and  limb  portion  of  the  leaves  are  violet  color.  The  fruit  is  large, 
often  weighing  as  high  as  twenty  pounds,  and  when  ripe  is  very 
sweet.  While  young  the  trees  are  kept  shady,  and  pruned  to  pre- 
vent their  growing  tall.  To  encourage  fruit,  portions  of  the  flowers 
are  picked  off ;  the  smaller  fruits  are  removed  when  green,  so  that 
the  remainder  will  grow  larger  and  stronger.  By  cultivation  a 
dwarfed  variety  ("  lechoso  enana  ")  is  produced.  The  green  Carica 
grows  to  greater  height  than  the  purple;  its  fruits  are  smaller  and 
possess  a  less  agreeable  flavor. 
The  three  forms  of  flower  present  in  the  papaw  are,  according  to 
IV.— Pistillate  flower. 
V. — Young  fruit. 
VI. — Seed  seen  in  section. 
