Biology:Passiflora caerulea

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Short description: Species of flowering plant in the passion flower family

Passiflora caerulea
Fruit cut and opened
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species:
P. caerulea
Binomial name
Passiflora caerulea

Passiflora caerulea, the blue passionflower,[1] bluecrown passionflower[2] or common passion flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Passifloraceae. It is native to South America and has been introduced elsewhere.

It forms a vigorous, deciduous or semi-evergreen tendril-bearing vine growing to 10 m (33 ft) or more. Its leaves are palmately lobed, and its fragrant flowers are blue-white with a prominent fringe of coronal filaments in bands of blue, white, yellow, and brown. The ovoid orange fruit grows to 6 cm (2 in) across.

The fruit is edible, but is sometimes described as having an unpalatable or unpleasant flavour. In South America, the plant is known for its medicinal properties, and is used by both the Toba and the Maka peoples.

Description

Passiflora caerulea flower

Passiflora caerulea is a woody vine capable of growing to 25 metres (82 ft) high where supporting trees are available.[3] The leaves are alternate, palmately five-lobed (sometimes three, seven, or nine lobes), and are up to 10 centimetres (4 in) in length while being linear-oblong shaped.[4] The base of each leaf has a flagellate-twining tendril 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long, which twines around supporting vegetation to hold the plant up.[3]

The flower is complex, about 10 cm (4 in) in diameter,[4] with the five sepals and petals similar in appearance, whitish in colour, surmounted by a corona of blue or violet filaments, then five greenish-yellow stamens and three purple stigmas.[3] The fruit is an oval orange-yellow berry, 6 cm (2 1⁄4 in) long by 4 cm (1 1⁄2 in) in diameter, containing an average of 10 to 35 seeds. [5]

While commonly used as an ornamental vine in tropical landscaping, it is an invasive, noxious weed that can take over native wildlife. Plants sometimes send underground shoots up to 15 feet from the mother plant. [6]

Chemical constituents

Compared to P. incarnata, this plant contains higher amounts of the MAO-inhibitor harmine.[7]

Etymology

The specific epithet caerulea means "blue" and refers to the blue coronal filaments.[8]

Cultivation

Passiflora caerulea is widely cultivated as a wall-climber or as groundcover. It is a hardy species, able to survive winter temperatures as low as −10 °C (14 °F),[9] although it requires a sheltered position facing south or west (in the Northern Hemisphere). It can become invasive, the twining shoots constantly appearing unless eradicated. It is the only Passiflora species that volunteers in California. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[10]

Cultivars

White-flowered cultivar P. caerulea 'Constance Elliott'

A number of cultivars have been produced from the species:

  • 'Chinensis' (corona filaments paler blue)
  • 'Constance Elliott' was raised by Lucombe, Pince & Co in Exeter, Great Britain in 1884. It has pure white, fragrant flowers; not as free-flowering as many other clones. It has also won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.[11]
  • 'Pierre Pomie', a pale pink flower form

Uses

The fruit is edible to humans when ripe, but its flavour has been described as bland,[12] undesirable[13] or insipid.[14] If allowed to fully ripen in a warm climate and fall naturally from the vine, it has a mild blackberry flavour,[15] though with a lower sugar content than commonly eaten species.

P. caerulea flower and fruit

A tea can be made of the flower or leaves; but the leaves contain tetraphyllin B and epi-tetraphyllin B, cyanogenic glycosides that liberate hydrogen cyanide when activated by enzymes. It is possible to boil away most of the cyanide.[14]

In South America, the plant is known for its medicinal uses. It is used in both herbal tea and dietary supplements, as well as in marmalades, ice creams, syrups and beverages.[13][16] It is also used by the indigenous Argentinian Toba and Maka people.[13][16]

Passiflora caerulea is often used as a rootstock, to which is grafted a scion of the edible P. edulis.[17]

In culture

Passiflora caerulea is the national flower of Paraguay.[18] Its intricate structure has generated Christian symbolism, each part representing a different part of the Passion of Christ.

  • Flower
    Flower
  • Fruit
    Fruit
  • Flower
    Flower
  • 'Constance Elliot', a white flowered cultivar
    'Constance Elliot', a white flowered cultivar
  • 'Pierre Pomie', a pale pink flowered cultivar
    'Pierre Pomie', a pale pink flowered cultivar
  • Peculiarity: two fused filaments force anthers upwards, displaying pollen beds otherwise not visible from this perspective.
    Peculiarity: two fused filaments force anthers upwards, displaying pollen beds otherwise not visible from this perspective.
  • Flower
    Flower
  • Seeds, the red gel-like substance around them removed
    Seeds, the red gel-like substance around them removed
  • Whole fruit
    Whole fruit
  • Fruit
    Fruit

References

  1. ↑ (xls) BSBI List 2007, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, https://bsbi.org/download/3542/, retrieved 2014-10-17 
  2. ↑ "Passiflora caerulea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PACA22. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Factsheet - Passiflora caerulea (Blue Passionflower)". https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Passiflora_caerulea_(Blue_Passionflower).htm. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Passiflora caerulea: info from PIER (PIER species info)". Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER). http://www.hear.org/pier/species/passiflora_caerulea.htm. 
  5. ↑ "CABI Digital Library" (in en). doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.116172. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/action/cookieAbsent. 
  6. ↑ "PlantFiles: The Largest Plant Identification Reference Guide - Dave's Garden". https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1264. 
  7. ↑ Frye, Abigail; Haustein, Catherine (2007). "Extraction, Identification, and Quantification of Harmala Alkaloids in Three Species of Passiflora". American Journal of Undergraduate Research 6 (3). doi:10.33697/ajur.2007.020. 
  8. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 224. ISBN 9781845337315. 
  9. ↑ "Passiflora caerulea | blue passion flower Climber Wall Shrub/RHS" (in en-gb). http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/12356/passiflora-caerulea/details. 
  10. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Passiflora caerulea". http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1386. 
  11. ↑ "RHS Plantfinder - Passiflora caerulea 'Constance Elliott'". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/305875/i-Passiflora-caerulea-i-Constance-Eliott/Details. 
  12. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United c ZKingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. pp. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332 965. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Popay, Ian (2014). Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower). CABI Compendium. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.116172. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/116172. Retrieved 14 August 2018. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 DS Seiglera, KC Spencera, WS Statlerb, EE Connb, JE Dunnb, 'Tetraphyllin B and epitetraphyillin B sulphates: Novel cyanogenic glucosides from Passiflora caerulea and P. alato-caerulea ', Phytochemistry, 21/9 (1982), 2277-2285.
  15. ↑ "Passiflora caerulea (Blue Passion Flower)" (in en-US). https://www.gardenia.net/plant/passiflora-caerulea-blue-passion-flower. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Mendiondo, G.M.; García, M.T.A. (2009). "Germination of stored and scarified seeds of Passiflora caerulea L. (Passifloraceae).". Plant Biosystems 143 (2): 369–376. doi:10.1080/11263500902722709. ISSN 1126-3504. Bibcode: 2009PBios.143..369M. https://www.cabi.org/isc/abstract/20093350304. Retrieved 28 August 2022. 
  17. ↑ "Passionfruit". https://nelliekelly.com.au/passionfruit/. 
  18. ↑ "About Paraguay: national flower". http://country.paraguay.com/about_paraguay/national_flower.php.  
*Topwalks.net: Passiflora caerulea

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