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Caricaceae

File:Carica_papaya_-_papaya_-_var-tropical_dwarf_papaya_-_desc-fruit.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Caricaceae

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The Caricaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, found primarily in tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. They are usually short-lived evergreen pachycaul shrubs or small to medium-sized trees growing to 5–10 m tall. One species, Vasconcellea horovitziana is a liana and the three species of the genus Jarilla are herbs. Some species, such as the papaya, bear edible fruit and produce papain.

AI overview

The Caricaceae are a family of tropical flowering plants native mainly to Central and South America and Africa, best known for including the papaya and other species that produce edible fruits and useful compounds like papain. Most members of this family are short-lived evergreen shrubs or small trees, though the group also includes some vines and herbs.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Caricaceae

FAMILY

  1. KingdomPlantae
  2. PhylumTracheophyta
  3. ClassMagnoliopsida
  4. OrderBrassicales
  5. FamilyCaricaceae
Observations recorded44,693

General: , the Caricaceae is currently placed within order Brassicales alongside Appearance: Key to genera of Neotropical Caricaceae 1. Herbaceous

via GBIF · Kew POWO

Museum specimens

Specimen records
139
With media
28
Family
Caricaceae
Collections
INECOL, IGL-UNAM, JBB, UEFS, MO, UFPB
Recorded in
Mexico, Brasil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, United States, Argentina, Panama

Research

1,369 papers

via PubMed

~1 min read

Encyclopedic overview

1 sections
Contents
  • References

The Caricaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, found primarily in tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. They are usually short-lived evergreen pachycaul shrubs or small to medium-sized trees growing to 5–10 m tall. One species, Vasconcellea horovitziana is a liana and the three species of the genus Jarilla are herbs. Some species, such as the papaya, bear edible fruit and produce papain.

Based on molecular analyses, this family has been proposed to have originated in Africa in the early Cenozoic era, ~66 million years ago (mya). The dispersal from Africa to Central America occurred ~35 mya, possibly via ocean currents from the Congo delta. From Central America, the family reached South America 19-27 mya.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Caricaceae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (3)