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Passion flower (Passiflora) is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants in the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora plant, see passionfruit.
Biology
Most of decorative passifloras have a unique flower structure, which requires a large bee to effectively pollinate (see photos below). In the American tropics, wooden beams are mounted near passionfruit plantings to encourage Carpenter bees to nest. At the same time, sizes and structures of flowers of various species of passiflora vary. Some species can be pollinated by hummingbirds and bumble bees, others by wasps, still others are self-pollinating. Passiflora species are used as food plants by the larva of the moth, Cibyra serta and many Heliconiinae Butterflies.
The bracts of Passiflora foetida are covered by hairs which exude sticky fluid. Many insects get stuck to this. Studies has suggested that this may be an adaptation similar to that seen in carnivorous plants. (Radhamani, et al)
Origin
Passion flowers are native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas.
Cultivation
A number of species of Passiflora are cultivated outside their natural range (where some have become established) because of their beautiful flowers. The passion fruit or maracujá vine of commerce, Passiflora edulis, is cultivated extensively in the Caribbean and south Florida for its fruit, used as source of juice.
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), a common species in the southern US, is a subtropical representative of this mostly tropical family. Its fruit is edible, but is quite seedy and mostly benefits wildlife. As with other passifloras, it is the larval food of a number of butterfly species.
Banana poka or Curuba (Passiflora tarminiana), originally from Central Brazil, is an invasive weed, especially on the islands of Hawaii, where it is spread by feral pigs eating the fruits. It overgrows and smothers stands of endemic vegetation, mainly on roadsides. Its fruits are edible, but not as much sought-after as maracujá.
Chilean passiflora, Gulupa, Purple passion fruit or Pasionaria (Passiflora pinnatistipula) grows in the Andes, from Venezuela to Chile, between 2500 and 3800 meters altitude, and in Coastal Central Chile, in where is an endangered vine from humid woody Chilean mediterranean forests.
Medical uses
Passion flower has a long history of use among Native Americans, in both North and Central America. It is used to treat insomnia, hysteria, and epilepsy, and is also valued for its painkilling properties. * It has been found to contain beta-carboline harmala alkaloids which are MAOi's with anti-depressant properties.
The Name
"Passion" does not refer to love, but to the Passion of Christ on the cross. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries discovered this flower and adopted its unique physical structures as symbols of Crucifixion. For example: the 72 radial filaments (or corona) represent the Crown of Thorns. The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles. The top 3 stigma represent the 3 nails and the lower 5 anthers represent the 5 wounds. The flower has been given names related to this symbolism throughout Europe since that time. In Spain, it is known as Espina de Cristo (Christ's Thorn). In Germany it was once known as Muttergottes-Schuzchen (Mother-of-God's Star).
In Japan, they are known as clock-faced flowers, and recently have become a symbol for homosexual youths.
In North America they are also called the Maypop, the water lemon, and the wild apricot (after its fruit). Native Americans in the Tennessee area called it ocoee, which the Ocoee river and valley are named for.
External links
- The Passiflora Society International
- Passiflora online
- Passiflora edulis
- Passiflora pictures
- Chilean Passiflora pictures
- A list of Heliconius Butterflies and the Passiflora species their larvae consume
References
- Radhamani, TR, Sudarshana, L., and Krishnan, R. 1995. Defence and carnivory: dual roles of bracts in Passiflora foetida. Journal of Biosciences 20: 657-664
Passifloraceae | Medicinal herbs and fungi | Plants and Pollinators
Passionsblume | Passiflora | פסיפלורה | Passiflora | Passiebloem | Męczennica | maracujá | เสาวรส | 西番蓮
"Passion flower"