Passiflora edulis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article describes the tropical passion fruit. For the German pop group, see Passion Fruit.

iPassion fruit
Ripe yellow passion fruit, or "maracuyá"
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Passifloraceae Genus: Passiflora Species: P. edulis
Binomial name
Passiflora edulis Sims

Passion fruit (Portuguese: maracujá; Spanish: maracuyá) comes from passion flower vines, plants of the genus Passiflora, native to tropical and sub-tropical America. The members of this genus produce beautiful flowers that are extensively cultivated outside their natural range.

Passiflora edulis is cultivated commercially in northwestern South America, the Caribbean, Brazil, south Florida, Hawaii (where it is called lilikoʻi or lilikoi), Australia (where it is always spelled passionfruit), East Africa, and South Africa (where it is called granadilla) for its fruit. The passion fruit of commerce is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a mushy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is grown for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.

The two types of passion fruit have greatly different exterior appearances. The bright yellow passion fruit (called "guavadilla" in South Africa)^[1] can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a rootstock for the purple granadilla in Australia. ^[2] The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind at maturity.

On the island of Puerto Rico it is called parcha. It is widely believed to lower blood pressure. In Venezuela it is called parchita. In Malaysia and Indonesia it is also known as markisa and the yellow variety is called konyal in Sundanese language.

In Brazil, passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Some say there that eating too many seeds makes one sleepy. ^{[citation needed]}

It is said in some cultures, after eating a Passion Fruit, you fall in love with the next person you make eye contact with.^{[citation needed]}

The flower of the passion fruit contains cyanide.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Giant granadilla
• Sweet granadilla

[edit] References

1. ^ [www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/conservation/scientific/ff/alien_biota/layout.pdf Alien invasive plants in the Kruger National Park p. 28]
2. ^ Reynhardt, Debbie. "Gardening with Debbie Reynhardt", Dispatch Online, Dispatch Media (Pty) Ltd, 8 February 2003. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2006.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Passiflora edulis

• Fruits of Warm Climates: Passionfruit
• California Rare Fruit Growers: Passion Fruit Fruit Facts
• Passiflora Society International
• Australian Passionfruit Varieties
• Phytochemicals in Passion Fruit
• Passiflora Online
• Passionfruit Flower in bloom and fruit growing on a vine

Purple passion fruit, which in Colombia is called "gulupa", to distinguish it from the yellow maracuyá	Ripe purple passion fruit	Yellow passion fruits for sale	Passion fruits on sale
Yellow and purple passion fruits, side by side	Passion fruit still on the vine