''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Caricaceae
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 growi ...
. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''
Carica
''Carica'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae including the papaya (''C. papaya'' syn. ''C. peltata'', ''C. posoposa''), a widely cultivated fruit tree native to the American tropics.
The genus was formerly treated as inc ...
'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella''".
They are
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
pachycaul
Pachycauls are plants with a disproportionately thick Trunk (botany), trunk for their height, and few branches. This can be the product of exceptional primary growth (as with Arecaceae, palms and cycads) or disproportioate secondary growth as with ...
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s or small
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s growing to 5 m tall, native to
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
. Many have edible
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
similar to
papaya
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...
, and some are widely cultivated in South America.
;Species:
*''
Vasconcellea badilloi
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea candicans''
*''
Vasconcellea carvalhoae
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea cauliflora
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea chachapoyensis
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea chilensis
''Vasconcellea chilensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caricaceae. It is endemic to Chile. The plant has a chromosome count of 2n = 18.
It was previously placed in the genus ''Carica''.
Description
Monoecious or dioic shrub, ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea crassipetala
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea glandulosa
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea goudotiana''
*''
Vasconcellea horovitziana
''Vasconcellea horovitziana'' is a species of plant in the family Caricaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It was formerly placed in genus ''Car ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea longiflora
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea microcarpa
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea monoica
''Vasconcellea monoica'' (commonly known as col de montaña, col de monte, or peladera in Spanish) is a species of flowering plant in the family Caricaceae. It is native to Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. The plant has a chromosome count of 2n = 18.
...
''
*''
Vasconcellea omnilingua
''Vasconcellea omnilingua'' is a species of plant in the family Caricaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It was previously placed in genus ''Ca ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea palandensis
''Vasconcellea palandensis'' is a species of plant in the family Caricaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It was previously placed in genus ''C ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea parviflora
''Vasconcellea parviflora'' is a species of shrub in the family Caricaceae. It is native to SW Ecuador and NW Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea pentalobis
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea peruviensis
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea pubescens
The mountain papaya (''Vasconcellea pubescens'') also known as mountain pawpaw, papayuelo, chamburo, or simply "papaya" is a species of the genus ''Vasconcellea'', native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to centra ...
'' (Syn. ''Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis'') (mountain papaya)
*''
Vasconcellea pulchra''
*''
Vasconcellea quercifolia''
*''
Vasconcellea sphaerocarpa''
*''
Vasconcellea sprucei''
*''
Vasconcellea stipulata
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
*''
Vasconcellea weberbaueri
''Vasconcellea'' is a genus with 20 or 26 species of flowering plants in the family Caricaceae. Most were formerly treated in the genus ''Carica'', but have been split out on genetic evidence. The genus name has also been spelled "''Vasconcella'' ...
''
;Hybrids
*''
Vasconcellea × heilbornii'' (
babaco
The babaco (''Vasconcellea'' × ''heilbornii''; syn. ''Carica pentagona''), is a hybrid cultivar in the genus ''Vasconcellea'' from Ecuador. It is a hybrid between '' Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis'' (syn. ''Carica pubescens'', "mountain papaya". ...
)
References
Ghent University: ''Vasconcellea''*Badillo, V. M. (2000). Carica L. vs. Vasconcella St. Hil. (Caricaceae) con la rehabilitacion de este ultimo. ''Ernstia'' 10: 74–79.
*Badillo, V. M. (2001). Nota correctiva Vasconcellea St. Hil. y no Vasconcella (Caricaceae). ''Ernstia'' 11: 75–76.
* Scheldeman, X. (2002)
Distribution and potential of cherimoya (''Annona cherimola'' Mill.) and highland papayas (''Vasconcellea'' spp.) in Ecuador*Van Droogenbroeck, B. et al. (2002). AFLP analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives (Caricaceae) from Ecuador. ''Theoret. Appl. Genet''. 105: 289–297.
* Tineo D, Bustamante DE, Calderon MS, Mendoza JE, Huaman E, Oliva M (2020) An integrative approach reveals five new species of highland papayas (Caricaceae, Vasconcellea) from northern Peru. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0242469. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.024246
Vasconcellea,
Flora of South America
Tropical fruit
Brassicales genera
{{Brassicales-stub