中文名（Chinese Name）：番木瓜
学名（Scientific Name）：Carica papaya L.
英文名（English Common Name）：papaya
别名（Chinese Common Name）：木瓜、番瓜
异名（Synonym）： Papaya carica Gaertn.；Carica bourgeaui Solms；Carica cubensis Solms；Carica hermaphrodita Blanco；Carica jamaicensis Urb.；Carica jimenezii Bertoni；Carica mamaya Vell.；Carica papaya f. correae Solms；Carica papaya f. ernstii Solms；Carica papaya f. mamaya (Vell.) Stellfeld；Carica papaya f. portoricensis (Urb.) Solms；Carica papaya var. bady Aké Assi；Carica papaya var. jimenezii Bertoni；Carica peltata Hook. & Arn.；Carica pinnatifida Heilborn；Carica portoricensis Urb.；Carica posopora L.；Carica pyriformis Willd.；Carica rochefortii Solms；Carica sativa Tussac；Papaya bourgeaei (Solms) Kuntze；Papaya cimarrona Sint. ex Kuntze；Papaya citriformis (Jacq.) A. DC.；Papaya communis Noronha；Papaya cubensis (Solms) Kuntze；Papaya cucumerina Noronha；Papaya edulis var. macrocarpa Bojer；Papaya edulis var. pyriformis Bojer；Papaya edulis Bojer；Papaya hermaphrodita Blanco；Papaya papaya (L.) H. Karst.；Papaya peltata (Hook. & Arn.) Kuntze；Papaya pyriformis Baill.；Papaya rochefortii (Solms) Kuntze；Papaya sativa Tuss.；Papaya vulgaris A. DC.；Vasconcellea peltata (Hook. & Arn.) A. DC.
科属（Family & Genus）：番木瓜科（Caricaceae）番木瓜属
形态特征（Description）：常绿软木质小乔木，高达8-10米，具乳汁；茎不分枝或有时于损伤处分枝，具螺旋状排列的托叶痕。叶大，聚生于茎顶端，近盾形，直径可达60厘米，通常5-9深裂，每裂片再为羽状分裂；叶柄中空，长达60-100厘米。花单性或两性，有些品种在雄株上偶尔产生两性花或雌花，并结成果实，亦有时在雌株上出现少数雄花。植株有雄株，雌株和两性株。雄花：排列成圆锥花序，长达1米，下垂；花无梗；萼片基部连合；花冠乳黄色，冠管细管状，长1.6-2.5厘米，花冠裂片5，披针形，长约1.8厘米，宽4.5毫米；雄蕊10，5长5短，短的几无花丝，长的花丝白色，被白色绒毛；子房退化。雌花：单生或由数朵排列成伞房花序，着生叶腋内，具短梗或近无梗，萼片5，长约1厘米，中部以下合生；花冠裂片5，分离，乳黄色或黄白色，长圆形或披针形，长5-6.2厘米，宽1.2-2厘米；子房上位，卵球形，无柄，花柱5，柱头数裂，近流苏状。两性花：雄蕊5枚，着生于近子房基部极短的花冠管上，或为10枚着生于较长的花冠管上，排列成2轮，冠管长1.9-2.5厘米，花冠裂片长圆形，长约2.8厘米，宽9毫米，子房比雌株子房较小。浆果肉质，成熟时橙黄色或黄色，长圆球形，倒卵状长圆球形，梨形或近圆球形，长10-30厘米或更长，果肉柔软多汁，味香甜；种子多数，卵球形，成熟时黑色，外种皮肉质，内种皮木质，具皱纹。花果期全年。
分布（Distribution）：原产热带美洲，我国南方引种栽培。
用途（Use）：番木瓜果实成熟可作水果，未成熟的果实可作蔬菜煮熟食或腌食，可加工成蜜饯，果汁、果酱、果脯及罐头等。种子可榨油。果和叶均可药用。
引自中国植物志英文版 FOC Vol. 13 Page 150     
Carica papaya Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1036. 1753.
番木瓜 fan mu gua| Caricaceae  | Carica
Papaya carica Gaertner.
Trees or shrubs 8-10 m tall. Stem simple, with stipulate scars helically arranged. Petiole hollow, 60-100 cm; leaf blade ca. 60 cm, usually 5-9 palmatifid; lobes pinnatifid. Male inflorescence pendulous, to 1 m. Male flowers: pedicel absent; corolla tube creamy yellow, 1.6-2.5 cm, lobes lanceolate, ca. 1.8 × 0.45 cm; stamens 5 longer and 5 shorter, shorter ones almost without filaments; filaments white, white tomentose. Female flowers usually solitary or aggregated in corymbose cymes; pedicel short or nearly absent; calyx lobes ca. 1 cm; corolla lobes creamy yellow, oblong or lanceolate, 5-6.2 × 1.2-2 cm; ovary ovoid; stigmas partite, nearly fimbriate. Bisexual flowers: corolla tube 1.9-2.5 cm, lobes oblong, ca. 2.8 × 0.9 cm; stamens 5 or 10 in 1 or 2 whorls; ovary smaller than in female flowers. Fruit orange-yellow or yellow at maturity, cylindric, ovoid-cylindric, or subglobose, 10-30 cm; sarcocarp soft with a mild, pleasant flavor. Seeds numerous, black at maturity, ovoid. 2n = 18.
Cultivated. S China [of cultivated origin in Central America; widely introduced and cultivated in tropical areas of the world].
The large, succulent, delicious fruits (papaya) are eaten.
（责任编辑：徐晔春）