Passiflora foetida

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iFoetid Passion Flower

Passiflora foetida flower

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Passifloraceae
Genus:	Passiflora
Species:	P. foetida

Binomial name

Passiflora foetida
L.

The Foetid Passion Flower or Stinking Passion Flower (Passiflora foetida), also known as the Wild Maracuja, is a creeping vine which has an edible fruit and leaves that have a mildly rank aroma. It is native to northern South America and the West Indies.

Passiflora foetida leaves

The stems are thin, wiry and woody, covered with sticky yellow hairs. The leaves are three- to five-lobed and viscid-hairy. They give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. The flowers are white to pale cream coloured, about 5-6 cm diameter. The fruit is globose, 2-3 cm diameter, yellowish-orange to red when ripe, and has numerous black seeds embedded in the pulp; the fruit are eaten and the seeds dispersed by birds.

The bracts of this plant serve as insect traps, but it is as yet unknown whether the plant digests and gains nourishment from the trapped insects or if it merely uses the bracts as a defensive mechanism to protect its flowers and fruit. This is still an issue of debate and research among carnivorous plant enthusiasts.

Passiflora foetida: climbing tendril

This passion flower tolerates arid ground, but favours wet areas. It is known to be an invasive species in some areas.

[edit] Synonyms

Passiflora ciliata Dryand., Dysosmia ciliata M.Roem., Dysosmia fluminensis M.Roem., Dysosmia foetida (L.) M.Roem., Dysosmia gossypifolia (Desv. ex Ham.) M.Roem., Dysosmia hastata (Bertol.)M.Roem., Dysosmia hibiscifolia (Lam.) M.Roem., Dysosmia nigelliflora (Hook.)M.Roem., Granadilla foetida (L.) Gaertn., Passiflora baraquiniana Lem.