Caricaceae

Large, deeply palmately lobed leaves clustered at the top of a soft, hollow, unbranched trunk; milky latex oozes from any cut, and flowers are usually unisexual on separate male and female trees, the female ripening directly into the familiar large fleshy fruit.

The soft trunk is mostly hollow and non-woody, growing remarkably fast — a papaya can flower and fruit within its first year from seed, unusually quick for a tree-sized plant.