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Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016Papaya Disease & White Growth Anomaly Photographs
Photos of stringy sinuous white growth in the fruit of the Papaya (pawpaw) (Carica papaya L.)

Photographs and discussion of the cause and edibility concerns of white sinuous or filamentous growth through the fruit or ovary of a papaya (Carica papaya) or "pawpaw" address these questions:

What are the white lines or striations inside of a papaya? Why is the papaya white inside the fruit? Papaya (pawpaw) diseases causing white growth in the fruit, and is the white stuff inside my papaya a disease and is the papaya safe to eat?

What is the probable cause and what may be the significance of the white growths throughout the fruit of this papaya? Is this a plant disease, a fungus, or a genetic anomaly? Is this papaya safe to eat?

Included in this article series are photographs of plants and matching pollen from other areas in the U.S., Canada, Spain, France, and Mexico, and from other countries. Included are pollen and plants include the New York Hudson Valley. We include links to detailed articles about individual pollen and plant species.

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Papaya (Carica papaya L.) White Growth or "Disease" Photographs

Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016

[Click to enlarge any image]

Shown here are photographs of a white fibrous growth throughout the normally-edible portion of the fruit of a papaya plant.

We have asked for opinions from experts on the papaya plant to address the following six questions. Readers and papaya experts are invited to CONTACT US with comments or suggestions.

  1. What is this white growth?
  2. Is it fungal, is it a plant disease, or is it a genetic disorder or aberration?

Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016 ... Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016

Above we see fairly typical papaya seeds in the center of this fruit, and in our second photo we see rather obvious indication that the white fibrous growth that permeates the normally pure orange fruit of the papaya ovary wall is emanating from the white liner or lactifer (latex ducts) to which seeds are attached and from which they are formed.

I think this may be a growth caused by early germination of some of the seeds along the interior wall of the papaya - notice that a few of the seeds themselves are covered in white material.

  1. What are the causes of this papaya "disease"?
  2. Is this papaya safe to eat?
  3. Are there external symptoms on a papaya fruit that might indicate the presence of this papaya disorder?
  4. Is there something else we should ask about this papaya and its edibiltiy?

Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016 ... Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016

Other observations about this specific papaya shown above included a sticky surface on the fruit's exterior and a bit of (rather typical) mould growing at the fruit's base.

I could but did not bother to identify this fungus as it is entirely common on other papayas in the marketplace and from its location and compared with the internal growths we document above, I did not see an obvious connection between the fungus and the problem under discussion.

Typically I find species of Aspergillus sp. or sometimes Penicillium sp. in these white mould deposits and on occasion one finds one of the mildews present. For example

see CACTUS, NOPAL PRICKLY PEAR MOLD.

Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016 ... Papaya disease white growth through fruit (C) Daniel Friedman 2016

And under the microscope we see the fibrous growth and no obvious fungal material in the papaya flesh.

Papaya laticifer fiber growing in the  papaya flesh (C) Daniel Friedman ... Papaya laticifer fiber growing in the  papaya flesh (C) Daniel Friedman

It is possible that these white growths inside of the papaya are related to a different, viviparous phenomenon that is itself caused by germinated or pre-germinated seeds inside the fruit, but to be clear, usually such growths appear not throughout the flesh of the fruit (as in our photos above) buy rather as a large, hard white blob or growth inside the center of the fruit (not shown here).

Papaya laticifer fiber growing in the  papaya flesh (C) Daniel Friedman

Note: reviewing lists of diseases of papaya we did not find a description that included white streaks or striations within the fruit of the papaya itself.

The only papaya disease involving the term "streaks" was of "streaks of an oily appearance" along the main stem of papaya plants describe by Hine, Gonsalves and others, in discussion of payaya ringspot disease a viral infection that does not appear related to the white streaks or striations shown on this page. (Hine 1965)

The first symptoms are the appearance of oily streaks on the younger leaves and the younger leaves show clearing along the veins that gives an appearance of flecks.

These early symptoms are used to detect infected plants when rogueing is used for managing the disease. - (Gonsalves 2010)

 

 

White Fibrous Papaya Growth / Streaks / Veins: Diagnosis & Comments

Thanks for your query regarding the flesh disorder of papaya which was forwarded to our pathology group in North Queensland, Australia.

The group has seen and is not aware of similar symptoms occurring in Australian produced fruit.

After looking at all the images we agree with Daniel that the disorder is not related to any disease.

It appears that something has affected the laticifers (latex ducts) or the vascular material resulting in an aberration of the tissue.

It is difficult to determine the actual cause without having knowledge of the growing conditions, variety, field and postharvest treatments, incidence and severity (eg. one fruit on one plant).

One way to determine if it is specifically the laticifers that are affected would be touch the surface of freshly cut fruit and feel if it is sticky. - Kathy Grice, Senior Experimentalist, Horticulture and Forestry Science, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mareeba, Queensland Australia [by private email] 2016/06/22

List of Diseases of the Papaya Plant & Fruit

Papaya in Hawaii, infected with Phytophtora parasitica - Hine et als, U. Hawaii, 1965, cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

List of Common Diseases of Papaya

Ilustrations above and below: Hawaiian payaya infected with Phytophtora parasitica, a fungal disease, discussed by Hine et als in Diseases of Papaya, cited below. The first photo is of Phytophtora parasitica on papaya in the field and the second is a payaya infected with Phytophtora parasitica after having been inoculated in the lab.

[Click to enlarge any image]

We include these payaya fungal infection photos to help distinguish between the white streaky striations found in the papaya fruit discussed above on this page from common payaya diseases.

Various authors including Hine cite the predominant diseases infecting papaya (Carica payaya L.) to include the following conditions. These are discussed by the authors cited below, beginning with Hine (1965).

Non-Parasitic Diseases of Papayas

Parasitic Diseases of Papayas

Virus Diseases of Payaya

Fungus Diseases of Payaya

Papaya in Hawaii, infected with Phytophtora parasitica - Hine et als, U. Hawaii, 1965, cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Oidium sp. mildew spores © Daniel Friedman 2001 ...Mildew on a Jasmine plant, closeup (C) Daniel Friedman

Above: Oidium sp. is one of the most common appearances of the sub-group of molds in the mildew family. Discussed

at MOLD by MICROSCOPE and also at MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION

Nematode Diseases of Papaya

Bacterial & Viral Diseases of Papaya

Papaya Damage from Insect Pests

Papaya Diseases of Unknown Cause

Research References on Payaya Diseases

Photo of healthy papaya fruit flesh and seeds, source: x cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Illustration: a photograph of healthy flesh and seeds of a payaya - Plantvillage (2020) cited in detail below.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Papaya white striations or white veins, possible lactifer abnormality (C) InspectApedia.com  Melissa SOn 2020-05-20 - by (mod) - white veins in papaya not actual "plant disease"

Melissa

Gracias por el foto y su comentario.

I also live in Mexico and have opened a papaya to find the same white striations - though not often.

I don't think it's an insect nor a plant disease but rather a growth abnormality, because having reviewed quite a few articles on payapa "disease" I have not found a photo nor descriptions of quite what you and I are seeing in these Mexican papayas; I agree that the papaya taste was the same.

[Click to enlarge any image]

I just found the fruit so unappealing that I threw it out. I'm researching further to see if I can put a name to this symptom and will post that here.

As we wrote above,

It appears that something has affected the laticifers (latex ducts) or the vascular material resulting in an aberration of the tissue.

It is difficult to determine the actual cause without having knowledge of the growing conditions, variety, field and postharvest treatments, incidence and severity (eg. one fruit on one plant).

My request to a papaya expert in Austraila expressed that view, as you'll see in the article above.

On 2020-05-20 by Melissa Saravia

I live in Mexico and yesterday I opened a papaya that had this exact characteristic. [photo above]

I did not find the taste was different, I did not find any insects, thinking it could make those burrows.

On 2018-04-03 - by (mod) - white streaks in papaya ok to eat?

Thanks for asking, Bree.

In the papaya disease article above I quoted from experts who agreed that the white streaks are not associated with any disease.

They were, of course referring to plant disease. It’s reasonable to infer that if the streaky papaya is not suffering a plant disease it’s also not a health hazard.

I would prefer not to eat Papaya that has a lot of those white streaks because it's its texture not so nice as its sisters, but on researching I have not found any expert who claimed that there was any health hazard.

On 2018-04-03 - by (mod) - streaky papaya problem - ok to eat

Thanks for asking, Bree.

In the papaya disease article above I quoted from experts who agreed that the white streaks are not associated with any disease. They were, of course referring to plant disease. It’s reasonable to infer that if the streaky papaya is not suffering a plant disease it’s also not a health hazard.

On 2018-04-03 by Bree

Sorry, maybe I'm stupid or blind but I don't see where the answer is. Is a papaya with these white spots/streaks ok to eat?

I opened one today with these white spots. It smells good and seems normal besides the white spots. Just wondering if its safe to eat or if I should throw it away.


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