See text The Caricaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales,[1] 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.

[2] Some species, such as the papaya, bear edible fruit and produce papain.

[3] 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.