atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

Passiflora edulis Sims "passionfruit"
Recent introduction. Trop. America. Rare. Vigorous woody perennial climbing
vine, up to 15 m long, with glabrous, grooved stems and axillary, spirally coiled tendrils;
leaves, 10 to 15 cm by 12 to 25 cm, alternate, broadly ovate in outline, deeply palmately
3-lobed, lobes ovate-oblong, sharply acute to acuminate, sinus rounded, base cordate,
serrate; petioles, 2 to 5 cm long, usually glabrous, grooved on upper surface, with 2
conspicuous glands near base of blade; stipules, about 1 cm long, lanceolate; inflorescen-
ces, axillary, 7 to 10 cm in diameter; peduncle, 2 to 5 cm long, triangular; bracts 3, 1 to
3 long and 1 to 2 cm wide, near apex of peduncle, leafy, ovate to lanceolate, serrate-
glandular; calyx, 5-lobed, tubular at base, sepals, 2 to 3 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide,
ovate-oblong , spreading, reflexed, white above, yellowish-green below, spongy, fleshy,
with thorn-like appendage near tip and 0 to 4 glands on margins; corolla, 5-petaled,
petals, 2.5 to 3 cm long and 0.5 to 1 cm wide, elliptic, free, white, alternating with
calyx, inserted on throat of calyx; corona of 2 outer rows of wavy, threadlike, radiating
filaments, 2 to 3 cm long, white distally and purple or pink proximally, with several
rows of short, purple-tipped papillae; stamens 5, filaments united in a tube around
gynophore for about 1 cm then widely parted for 1 cm; anthers, 1 to 1.5 cm long,
versatile, transverse, 2-celled, pale yellow, hanging downwards below level of ovary;
fruit, 4 to 6 cm long, subglobose or ellipsoid, yellow or purple depending on the variety
or form, rind hard, endocarp white; seeds, many, about 5 by 3 mm, compressed, testa
blackish, 3-toothed at base, attached to peg-like funiculi on the ovary wall and sur-
rounded by yellowish-orange, aromatic pulpy and juicy aril with a tart but pleasing
flavor; seeds, pulpy aril and juice edible. Two small seedlings in home garden. Sup-
plementary food plant in many parts of the Pacific and currently or formally an important
cash crop in Niue, Fiji, W. Samoa, Hawaii and Papua New Guinea. 6.
Passiflora foetida L. var. hispida (DC.) Killip "stinking passion flower",
"love-in-a-mist" oatamo, watamo (N); te biku (K)
syn. P. hispida DC. ex Triana & Planch.
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Trop. America. Occasional. Creeping or climbing
perennial herbaceous vine, 1.5 to 5 m long, with weak, densely long-hispid, longitudinal-
ly-grooved stems, axillary coiled tendrils and fetid (bad smelling) foliage; leaves, 4 to 12
cm long and almost equally wide, simple, ovate or ovate-cordate in outline; palmately 3-
lobed, the lobing shallow to halfway to the mid-vein, lobe apices acute, base subcordate,
margins unevenly dentate or entire, both surfaces hispid-hirsute; petioles, 2 to 6 cm long,
pubescent; stipules, laciniate, the divisions filiform; inflorescences, 2.5 to 5 cm across,
solitary, axillary; pedicels 2 to 7 cm long; involucral bracts prominently 2- or 3-bipin-
natifid; calyx, 5-lobed, tubular, sepals oblong, mucronate, inside white; corolla, 5-
permeEr1.5 to 2.5 cm long, oblong, white; stanGK 3, pale green, surrounded by
a ring-like corona of filaments, 9 to 15 mm long, white distally and purple to rich-blue
proximally; fruit, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter, subglobose to ovoid, yellowish-orange to
red-orange, often with faint greenish vertical lines, leathery, thin-walled, surrounded by