Caricaceae Dumort.

Zappi, D. (2009). Neotropical Caricaceae.

Morphology

Description

Trees or shrubs, often poorly branched and pachycaul, rarely herbs or climbers , trunk occasionally covered in spines, often laticiferous , latex transparent or whitish. Stipules normally present, sometimes transformed in spines. Leaves generally petiolate , glabrous , generally with foetid or rank smell, venation generally palmate , entire to deeply dissected , sometimes digitate to trifoliolate , sometimes peltate (in Jarrilla Rusbydeltoid in outline), margin lobed , crenate or dentate , sometimes entire , base often cordate . Inflorescences axillary , cymose, racemose or paniculate, pedunculate or not, flowers sometimes solitary. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual in dioecious or polygamo- dioecious plants, hypogynous; calyx 5- merous , lobes free ; corolla 5- merous , lobes fused or free , white, cream or greenish; stamens 5-10, free or fused to the corolla and/or adnate, anthers dehiscing longitudinally; ovary superior , unilocular and with parietal placentation or 5-locular and then axile placentation, many-ovuled, style present, generally stout. Fruita large, green to orange, fleshy berry , indehiscent , many-seeded; seeds enveloped in mucilaginous pulp, testa verrucose , black, embryo straight, endosperm oily.

Distribution

Distribution in the Neotropics

• Represented by three genera and over 30 species widely distributed in the Neotropics.

General Description

Number of genera

• Carica L., 22 species throughout the Neotropics, poorly branched trees to shrubs (Carica papaya L. widely cultivated for its edible fruit).
• Jacaratia A.DC., 6 species in arid regions of the Neotropics, pachycaul trees sometimes with spiny branches, leaves digitate.
• Jarrilla heterophylla I.M.Johnst., 1 species only found in Mexico, herbaceous, decumbent.

General notes

• Carica papaya is an important food crop, especially in Northeastern Brazil. This species has two types of plants: one with many-flowered inflorecences comprising staminate and pistillate flowers, that sometimes produce an elongated fruit, and the other with pistillate, sessile flowers, producing abundant rounded fruits, known as Papaya, Mamão (Braz.) and Fruta-Bomba (Caribbean).

Notes on delimitation

• Together with the Brassicaceae, the Caricaceae is currently placed within order Brassicales alongside Tropaeolaceae (APGII, 2003, Souza & Lorenzi 2005).

Diagnostic

Useful tips for generic identification

Key to genera of Neotropical Caricaceae

1. Herbaceous, decumbent plants, with deltoid leaves .... Jarrilla
1. Shrubs or trees, self-supported, leaves never deltoid ... 2

2. Leaves entire to deeply lobed, branches smooth .... Carica
2. Leaves digitate to trifoliolate, branches often spiny.... Jacaratia

Distinguishing characters (always present)

• Rank or foetid smell.
• Mostly shrubby or tree -like.
• Stamens didynamous.
• Superiorovary with parietal placentation, stout style.
• Large fruits with soft epicarp and succulentpericarp.

Key differences from similar families

• Differs from Brassicaceae and Tropaeolaceae in woody, shrubby to tree-like habit.
• From Araliaceae (similar due to its palmately compound leaves) in superiorovary and pentamerous flowers (vs. Araliaceae inferior ovary, tetramerous flowers).
• From Bombacaceae (similar leaf shape and sometimes spinytrunk) in succulentindehiscentfruit (vs. Bombacaceae fruits which are dehiscent capsules with woolly seeds).

Other important characters

• Spiny stems (sometimes).
• Palmate leaves.
• Latex present.

Literature

Important literature

APG II, 2003. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 141(4): 399-436.

Gentry, A.H. 1996. A field guide to the families and genera of Woody Plants of Northwest South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

Souza, V.C. & Lorenzi, H. 2005. Botânica Sistemática: guia ilustrativo para identificação das famílias de Angiospermas da flora brasileira, baseado em APG II. Nova Odessa, Brazil: Instituto Plantarum.

Badillo, V.M. 1971. Monografia de la Familia Caricaceae. Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs, usually with simple stems, rarely herbs, with milky latex in all parts

Morphology Leaves

Leaves large, usually clustered at branch tips, variously lobed, without stipules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers with ± free petals; ovary superior, 1- or 5-celled with numerous ovules and parietal placentation; style short or absent; stigmas 5 Male flowers with long corolla-tube; stamens 10, in 2 whorls, inserted on the corolla Flowers unisexual or bisexual, regular, 5-merous, in axillary inflorescences or cauliflorous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a fleshy berry; seeds numerous, with endosperm.

Distribution

Family of four genera, only one of which, Cylicomorpha Urb., is native in Africa.

Caricaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs with simple or sparingly branched stems, rarely herbs; milky latex present in all parts

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, exstipulate, petiolate, simple and entire or variously lobed or divided

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers dioecious, monoecious or hermaphrodite, pentamerous, actinomorphic, in axillary inflorescences or, rarely plants cauliflorous Female flower: petals ± free; ovary superior, sessile, 5-carpellary, 1-locular or 5-locular, with parietal placentation; style short or absent; stigmas 5, connate at the base, entire or lobed Male flower: corolla gamopetalous, with valvate or contorted lobes; stamens 10, biseriate, inserted on the corolla; filaments free or connate into a short staminal ring

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx small, gamosepalous, subentire or 3–5-lobed, the lobes opposing or alternating with petals

sex Male

Male flower: corolla gamopetalous, with valvate or contorted lobes; stamens 10, biseriate, inserted on the corolla; filaments free or connate into a short staminal ring

sex Female

Female flower: petals ± free; ovary superior, sessile, 5-carpellary, 1-locular or 5-locular, with parietal placentation; style short or absent; stigmas 5, connate at the base, entire or lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovules ?, anatropous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a fleshy many-seeded berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with succulent outer sarcotesta and hard endotesta; endosperm present

Caricaceae, J. H. Hemsley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs, usually with simple trunks or stems, rarely herbs; milky latex present in all parts

Morphology Leaves

Leaves large, usually clustered at branch tips, long-petioled and exstipulate, variously lobed and divided, glabrous or rarely hairy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or rarely cauliflorous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers dioecious, monoecious or hermaphrodite, pentamerous and regular Male flowers gamopetalous; corolla-tube long and narrow; lobes ± valvate or contorted; stamens 10, biseriate, inserted on the corolla; filaments free or connate Female flowers with petals ± free; ovary superior, sessile, 1- or 5-locular with parietal placentation; style short or absent; stigmas 5, sessile, simple or fimbriate; ovules numerous, anatropous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx small, gamosepalous, 5-lobed

sex Male

Male flowers gamopetalous; corolla-tube long and narrow; lobes ± valvate or contorted; stamens 10, biseriate, inserted on the corolla; filaments free or connate

sex Female

Female flowers with petals ± free; ovary superior, sessile, 1- or 5-locular with parietal placentation; style short or absent; stigmas 5, sessile, simple or fimbriate; ovules numerous, anatropous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a fleshy berry with numerous seeds; seed with soft succulent outer testa and hard inner testa; endosperm present; embryo straight