Passion Fruit

Passion Fruit

Scientific name: Passiflora edulis Sims

Local name: ‘Tang fal’

Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1988)

Kingdom : Plantae
Division   : Magnoliophyta
Class        : Magnoliopsida
Order       : Malpighiales
Family      : Pasifloraceae
Genus       : Pasiflora
Species     : P. edulis

Fig. Passion Fruit Plant

Identifying Characters of this Family

• Passifloraceae are mostly woody or herbaceous climbers with unbranched tendrils that arise between the stipules.
• The flowers are often showy, with rings of filaments or membranes inside the petals
• The stamens and ovary are borne on an androgynophore or gynophore.

Origin and Distribution
Passiflora is the most species rich genus of both the family Passifloraceae and the tribe Passifloreae. With over 530 species, an extensive hierarchy of infrageneric ranks is required to represent the relationships of the species. The New World species of Passiflora were divided among 22 subgenera by Killip (1938).
The Old World species form two clades–super section. Disemma (part of subgenus Decaloba) and subgenus Tetrapathaea. The former is composed of 21 species divided into sections Disemma (3 Australian species), Holrungiella (1 New Guinean species) and Octandranthus (17 south and East Asian species).

Botanical Description of the Family
Habit: Herbaceous or woody vines, climbing by tendrils.
Root: The plants have a weak taproot and extensive ivory-coloured lateral roots
Stem: The stem is usually solitary, up to 7 cm in basal diameter, extends 5 to 10 m or more into the crowns of trees, and is covered by a thin, flaky, light brown bark. The stem-wood is light and brittle. The twigs are yellow-green, turning brown, and support themselves on vegetation by means of tendrils that arise at the leaf axils.
Leaf: Leaves alternate, entire or lobed.
Inflorescence: solitary or in mostly cymose inflorescences. Each single flower derive from a reduced cyme: the central axis developed into a tendril with a single lateral bracteole.
Flower: Bisexual, actinomorphic.

Fig. Flower of Passion fruit

Calyx: Commonly with extrafloral nectaries (glands) on the petiole; stipules usually present. Sepal 5, free or connate below.
Corolla: Petals 5, alternate with the sepals, free or on a gynophore; an extra-staminal corona of one or more rows of filament-like processes, membranous appendages or scales often present.
Androecium: Stamens 4–10, free or on an androgynophore.

Gynoecium: Gynoecium of 2–5 carpels united to form a superior 1-locular ovary which is sessile or on a gynophore; placentation parietal, placentas 3–5; styles 1 or 3–5, usually connate at the base. Styles with a capitate, clavate, or discoid stigma.
Floral Formula: ✶ K(3-)5(-8) C(3-)5(-8) or 0 A(4)5–8(-∞) G(2)3(-5)

Floral Diagram:

Fruit: Fruit a berry or capsule.

Seed: Seeds usually many, commonly pitted, with a fleshy aril.
Some common economically important plants:
• Passion fruit or maracujá (P. edulis)
• Sweet granadilla (P. ligularis)
• Maypop (P. incarnata)
• Giant granadilla
• Wild maracuja

Table : Passion fruit variety released by BARI