From the Botany & Horticulture section of our Unit meetings, as well as occasional communications with members....
Passiflora incarnata, Purple passionflower or Maypop
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Anna is growing her Purple passionflower in a container, which may keep if from taking over her garden yet allow her to enjoy the complex flowers. Carpenter bees are frequent visitors to Passionflowers.
Below are the reproductive parts of P. incarnata, along with petals and corona filaments. The structure is designed to accommodate larger insects, insuring that pollen on the anthers is brushed onto the backs of insects seeking nectar, and distributed to the stigmas of the same or another flower. Once on the stigma, the pollen travels down the style to the ovary, where a fruit develops. The fruits are the size of an egg, green while growing and fading to yellowish when mature. Each fruit contains up to 250 seeds.
Fruits are edible; some people like to eat them off the vine (they are filled with somewhat mucilaginous covered seeds which are mildly sweet). Years ago, people made jelly of the fruits. If the rinds are eaten, they should be cooked but most find them unappealing. The plants have a history of medicinal uses, as well as current uses, particularly in Europe.
The ornamental Passiflora caerulea,blue passionflower, contains cyanide, a toxic substance.
Below are the reproductive parts of P. incarnata, along with petals and corona filaments. The structure is designed to accommodate larger insects, insuring that pollen on the anthers is brushed onto the backs of insects seeking nectar, and distributed to the stigmas of the same or another flower. Once on the stigma, the pollen travels down the style to the ovary, where a fruit develops. The fruits are the size of an egg, green while growing and fading to yellowish when mature. Each fruit contains up to 250 seeds.
Fruits are edible; some people like to eat them off the vine (they are filled with somewhat mucilaginous covered seeds which are mildly sweet). Years ago, people made jelly of the fruits. If the rinds are eaten, they should be cooked but most find them unappealing. The plants have a history of medicinal uses, as well as current uses, particularly in Europe.
The ornamental Passiflora caerulea,blue passionflower, contains cyanide, a toxic substance.
