The passion flower is a dream plant. First, it grows quickly, avoiding the wait, so you can see its beautiful flowers as soon as possible. Second, the flowers give off a delicious aroma. Therefore, this flower is used both for decoration and in perfumes. Finally, some types of this plant produce an edible fruit, which can be enjoyed fresh, used in a dish or drunk as juice.
What is the passion flower?
The passion flower is a vigorous climbing plant. It grows fast and produces spectacular and abundant flowers. Notice how many flower buds appear on the sprouts. That means it is a floriferous climbing plant, producing a large number of flowers.
Furthermore, next to the flower buds, tendrils appear. Tendrils are modified leaves the plant uses to attach to objects within reach. They have a spiral shape so they can grow and twine around things without any additional help. The tendrils are thin and elongated. Meanwhile, the stem is rigid and woody.
These plants are evergreen. But in colder climates they can die back when it freezes and then grow from the ground in the spring. These perennials generally thrive in what gardeners call zones 6 to 10.
Passion flowers can reach 30 feet (9 m) in height, as long as they find a support to climb and anchor themselves to with their tendrils. They can live up to 10 years.
The flower is a gift for the senses
The main characteristic of this climbing plant is its flowers, which can reach 2 inches (12 cm) in diameter. The base of the flower is made up of 10 protective petals. These can vary in color or be all the same color.
You can also see a crown of filaments. Depending on the species, the color varies, as well as the texture, as they can be smooth or wavy. The most famous is the one with three colors. From inside to outside, it’s dark purple, white and blue. Other types have two colors, or only one color, such as all purple or all white.
These flowers also have five stamens and three pistils. Stamens are male floral organs. These organs contain pollen sacs, where pollen originates. The pistils are the female organs of the flower and are made up of the ovary, style and stigma.
A delicious fruit
The passion flower produces a fruit called passion fruit. It is an oval or rounded fruit, between 1.5 and 4 inches (4 and 10 cm) in diameter, depending on the species. The outer part is covered by a thick and inedible shell. When ripe, the outside has a yellow, orange or purple color. The pulp, which is fibrous and juicy, is yellowish and contains numerous small, black seeds.
This fruit can be eaten fresh, with a spoon. However, with so many seeds, this is not an ideal way to eat it. For this reason, cooks have expanded their recipe books over time. Today, the passion fruit is mostly used to produce juice. Passion fruit is a common ingredient in desserts, and even in the preparation of teas, salads and vinaigrettes.
Origin of the plant
The genus Passiflora includes around 550 accepted species, although there are only about 50 varieties with edible fruits.
Most species are native to South America, although there are a few native to southern Asia, Australia and Oceania.
Plus, there are hybrids created naturally and those created by geneticists, which provide new shapes in their stems, leaves and in the color and size of their flowers and fruits. People are also seeking to improve the edible species, so the fruits have more weight, color, aroma and flavor. Thus, in total, there are about more than 1,000 described species.
Some types of passion flower
Below is Passiflora caerulea. It grows wild in several countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in South America, Spain in Europe and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.
Next is Passiflora edulis. It is a typical species of South America and Central America; specifically, it is considered native to Brazil.
Here is Passiflora caerulea Constance Elliot. It is native to Mexico and the Caribbean. This plant can become invasive in some areas, but it is also food for the larvae of the Acraea andromacha butterfly.
The last species below is Passiflora vitifolia. It’s native to tropical areas such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This plant serves as food for the larvae of the Heliconius cydno and Heliconius hecale butterflies.
Bottom line: The passion flower plant is a gift for the senses. Its flowers are aromatic, abundant and colorful. And some types have an edible fruit. Plus, the structure of the flower is spectacular and unique.
Read more: Water lilies, beautiful and colorful: Lifeform of the week
Read more: Carnivorous plants are our lifeform of the week
The post The passion flower is our flamboyant lifeform of the week first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TCBU9Hm
The passion flower is a dream plant. First, it grows quickly, avoiding the wait, so you can see its beautiful flowers as soon as possible. Second, the flowers give off a delicious aroma. Therefore, this flower is used both for decoration and in perfumes. Finally, some types of this plant produce an edible fruit, which can be enjoyed fresh, used in a dish or drunk as juice.
What is the passion flower?
The passion flower is a vigorous climbing plant. It grows fast and produces spectacular and abundant flowers. Notice how many flower buds appear on the sprouts. That means it is a floriferous climbing plant, producing a large number of flowers.
Furthermore, next to the flower buds, tendrils appear. Tendrils are modified leaves the plant uses to attach to objects within reach. They have a spiral shape so they can grow and twine around things without any additional help. The tendrils are thin and elongated. Meanwhile, the stem is rigid and woody.
These plants are evergreen. But in colder climates they can die back when it freezes and then grow from the ground in the spring. These perennials generally thrive in what gardeners call zones 6 to 10.
Passion flowers can reach 30 feet (9 m) in height, as long as they find a support to climb and anchor themselves to with their tendrils. They can live up to 10 years.
The flower is a gift for the senses
The main characteristic of this climbing plant is its flowers, which can reach 2 inches (12 cm) in diameter. The base of the flower is made up of 10 protective petals. These can vary in color or be all the same color.
You can also see a crown of filaments. Depending on the species, the color varies, as well as the texture, as they can be smooth or wavy. The most famous is the one with three colors. From inside to outside, it’s dark purple, white and blue. Other types have two colors, or only one color, such as all purple or all white.
These flowers also have five stamens and three pistils. Stamens are male floral organs. These organs contain pollen sacs, where pollen originates. The pistils are the female organs of the flower and are made up of the ovary, style and stigma.
A delicious fruit
The passion flower produces a fruit called passion fruit. It is an oval or rounded fruit, between 1.5 and 4 inches (4 and 10 cm) in diameter, depending on the species. The outer part is covered by a thick and inedible shell. When ripe, the outside has a yellow, orange or purple color. The pulp, which is fibrous and juicy, is yellowish and contains numerous small, black seeds.
This fruit can be eaten fresh, with a spoon. However, with so many seeds, this is not an ideal way to eat it. For this reason, cooks have expanded their recipe books over time. Today, the passion fruit is mostly used to produce juice. Passion fruit is a common ingredient in desserts, and even in the preparation of teas, salads and vinaigrettes.
Origin of the plant
The genus Passiflora includes around 550 accepted species, although there are only about 50 varieties with edible fruits.
Most species are native to South America, although there are a few native to southern Asia, Australia and Oceania.
Plus, there are hybrids created naturally and those created by geneticists, which provide new shapes in their stems, leaves and in the color and size of their flowers and fruits. People are also seeking to improve the edible species, so the fruits have more weight, color, aroma and flavor. Thus, in total, there are about more than 1,000 described species.
Some types of passion flower
Below is Passiflora caerulea. It grows wild in several countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in South America, Spain in Europe and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.
Next is Passiflora edulis. It is a typical species of South America and Central America; specifically, it is considered native to Brazil.
Here is Passiflora caerulea Constance Elliot. It is native to Mexico and the Caribbean. This plant can become invasive in some areas, but it is also food for the larvae of the Acraea andromacha butterfly.
The last species below is Passiflora vitifolia. It’s native to tropical areas such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This plant serves as food for the larvae of the Heliconius cydno and Heliconius hecale butterflies.
Bottom line: The passion flower plant is a gift for the senses. Its flowers are aromatic, abundant and colorful. And some types have an edible fruit. Plus, the structure of the flower is spectacular and unique.
Read more: Water lilies, beautiful and colorful: Lifeform of the week
Read more: Carnivorous plants are our lifeform of the week
The post The passion flower is our flamboyant lifeform of the week first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TCBU9Hm
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