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A publication of the University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station May, 2003 Papayas can produce three possible flower types: male (stami- nate), female (carpellate) and bi- sexual (hermaphrodite). More than one flower type can be present on a plant at a time. This can cause confusion in identifying the true sex of a papaya plant. The females and hermaphrodites are the fruit bearing flower types. Male papaya plants are recog- nized by long floral stalks that grow out from the main stem (Fig. 1) and produce clusters of small trumpet- shaped flowers (Fig. 2). The flowers have five white to yellow colored petals that are fused together for 2/3 of their length to form the trumpet shape. Ten yellow/orange stamens, that produce pollen, are present where the petals fuse together to form a tube. Pollen from male plants can be used to pollinate female flowers to produce fruit. Male plants will, on rare occasions, produce a few elongated fruits that can be seen hanging from the long flower stalk (Fig. 3). Seeds from a male fruit will only produce male plants. Figure | (top left). Male papaya plant. Figure 2 (bottom). Staminate flowers from male papaya plants produce pollen. Figure 3 (top right). Male papaya plant with fruit. (Fig. 13) and, after determining the plants’ sex, thinning down to only one strong fruit-bearing plant (Fig. 14). Male trees may be kept at a rate of 1 male plant to 5-8 female plants to ensure adequate pollination and fruit set on female plants. The male plant should be upwind of the female plant. Being able to identify the sex of papaya plants will ensure the maximum fruit production from the backyard or farming operations. For further information, contact Dr. Thomas W. Zimmerman, Re- search Assistant Professor and Program Leader, Biotechnology and Agroforestry, University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experi- ment Station, RR 2 Box 10,000, Kingshill, VI 00850. Office: 340- 692-4074 Email: tzimmer@uvi.edu Figure 12 (top right). Young female papaya plant. Figure 13 (bottom left). Papaya planted three to a hill ready to be sexed and thinned. Figure 14 (bottom right). Papavas thinned to one strong fruit-producing plant. Issued by the University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, James Rakocy, Director. Manuel Palada, Publications Coordinator and Technical Editor. Robin Sterns, Editor. University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, RR 2, Box 10,000, Kingshill, Vi 00850 Telephone: (340) 692-4020 Fax: (340) 692-4035 http://rps.uvi.edu/AES/aes_home.html The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Post-secondary Accreditation. University of the Virgin Islands “Historically American, Uniquely Caribbean, Globally Interactive.”