Issue 3 2013 Lo-res PDF - Passion Flowers

of a natural cross between P. racemosa and P. alata.
P. ‘Wilgen Heintje,’ if it is indeed a clone of
P. amabilis, has been proven to be self-perpetuating,
and so therefore P. amabilis may be able to survive
in the wild without human influence. Whether the
population does still exist depends on many different
things. Deforestation and habitat fragmentation due
to agricultural development is unfortunately the most
rampant cause of species extinction, so the future
existence of this population is doubtful.
Passiflora Online Journal February 2013
21
Still the question remains: Who described the species,
and even more importantly, from which specimens?
The type specimens were assigned from a cultivated
collection in a French Botanical Garden in Cote d’Azur.
However, was the species hybridized in France by the
breeder and author of P. amabilis, or was it collected as a
naturally hybridized species in Brazil? If it was collected
from a wild population near Rio de Janeiro, were we
able to recognize hybrids back in the 1840’s? I don’t
think so.
Back then, growing decorative plants at your house or
property was not as popular is it is today. Most people
Fig. 2 Passiflora amabilis
© 2011 Yero Kuethe
Fig. 3 Herbarium specimen of Passiflora amabilis.
Held by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
in Brazil collected their needs from the nearby forests, perhaps
only growing crops of commercial value, like P. alata for their
fruit or as herbs. P. racemosa is not commercially valued for
its fruit, but for its decorative flowers and may have been
cultivated by enthusiasts who admired the unique racemes
back in the 1840’s. The chances that the two species actually
hybridized in that time are slim, but possible. More detailed
and professional observation of the natural population is
necessary to confirm this theory. Till then, we will struggle to
establish the facts from the options that are:
1- The species is being described from cultivated specimens,
(most likely from France).
2- The species has been reported from a wild population.
3- The species is definitely a hybrid between P. racemosa and P. alata.
4- The species was recognized as a hybrid before it was described.
The Passiflora Project International is intent on solving this
mystery by organising an expedition to these two parks, and
attempting to relocate this population found in 1953.
REFERENCES
Harms, R.C. 1893: Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien.
Monograph
Masters, 1872: Flora Brasiliensis.
Monograph
Killip, E.P. 1938: The American species of Passifloraceae.
Monograph
Killip, E.P. 1960: Supplemental notes on American Passiflora
Contributors of Royal Herbarium and Botanical Gardens.
Kuethe, Y.R. 2011: PPI Official list of recognized Passiflora
Database of species determination.
Kuethe, Y.R. 2011: PPI Monograph on Passiflora genus.
Monograph
Lemaire, 1847: Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l’Europe
Contributors of Botanical Heritage Magazine.
Coming soon:
The continuation of the magnificent work of Elsworth Killip
PPI Monograph on the Passiflora genus
Fig.4 Herbarium specimen of Passiflora amabilis.
Held by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
PPI, Passiflora Project Int’l
Yero R. Kuethe, Townsville 4810 QLD
Australia.
Kuethe@ppi.nu Tel: (+61) 042 6996 207
20 Passiflora Online Journal Febuary 2013