Passiflora,
known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500
species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae.
Exotic looking Passion
Flowers look as though they'd be tropical plants, but they can actually be
grown in much milder areas. There are many different passion flower species,
with considerable variety within them. Some passion flowers are vines, some
bushy, some even produce edible fruits.
Passion flowers look
extremely delicate, so it’s a surprise to find them growing in fields along the
sides of the road.
Description
The common name Passion
Flower can be a bit confusing. To muddle matters further, most are vines, but
some are shrubs, annuals, perennials and even trees. What they all share are exotic
flowers that only remain open for about 1 day. They have a wide, flat petal
base with several rings of filaments in the center which surround a stalk of
sorts, that holds up the ovary and stamens.
Flowers: 5 or 10 petals in
a flat or reflex circle. The ovary and stamens are held atop a tall,
distinctive stalk which is encircled by delicate filaments. The stigmas start
out high above the anthers and slowly bend backwards to come closer for
pollination. Colors include: blue, purple, pink, white and red.
Foliage: The most commonly
grown forms are vines that climb and cling by tendrils. The leaves are
alternate and either lobed or ovate.
Distribution
The family Passifloraceae
has a pantropical distribution. Passiflora itself is absent from Africa, where
many other members of the family Passifloraceae occur (e.g. the more
plesiomorphic Adenia).
Most species are found in
South America, eastern Asia, southern Asia and New Guinea. Nine separate
species of Passiflora are native to the United States, found from Ohio to the
north, west to California and south to the Florida Keys. Four or more species
are also found in Australia and a single endemic species in New Zealand. New
species continue to be identified: for example, P. pardifolia and P.
xishuangbannaensis have only been known to the scientific community since 2006
and 2005, respectively.
Some species of Passiflora
have been naturalised beyond their native ranges. For example, blue passion
flower (P. caerulea) now grows wild in Spain. The purple passionfruit (P.
edulis) and its yellow relative flavicarpa have been introduced in many
tropical regions as commercial crops.
What are the potential
benefits of passionflower?
According to the National
Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), more research is
needed to assess the potential uses of P. incarnata. Some studies suggest it
may help relieve anxiety and insomnia. Other species of passionflower have
shown promise for treating stomach problems.
It may calm your mind
P. incarnata has many
common names, including purple passionflower and maypop. Early studies suggest
it might help relieve insomnia and anxiety. It appears to boost the level of
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in your brain. This compound lowers brain
activity, which may help you relax and sleep better.
In a trial published in
Phytotherapy Research, participants drank a daily dose of herbal tea with
purple passionflower. After seven days, they reported improvements in the
quality of their sleep. The researchers suggest that purple passionflower may
help adults manage mild sleep irregularities.
Some trials suggest that
purple passionflower may also relieve anxiety. A study reported in the journal
Anesthesia and Analgesia examined its effects on patients scheduled for
surgery. Patients who consumed it reported less anxiety than those who received
a placebo.
It might soothe your
stomach
Other members of the
Passiflora family might help treat stomach problems. Passiflora foetida is more
commonly known as stinking passionflower. In a study reported in the Indian
Journal of Pharmacology, researchers examined its potential for treating
stomach ulcers. They found it helped alleviate ulcers in rats. It also showed
antioxidant potential.
In another study
reported in BioMed Research International, scientists examined Passiflora
serratodigitata. They created an extract from its leaves and stems. This
extract also showed promise for treating ulcers in rats. But more research is needed
on humans.
What are the potential
risks?
According to the NCCIH,
passionflower is generally considered safe. But it may cause some side effects,
such as sleepiness, dizziness and confusion.
Because of this, it
should not be taken with sedative medications. Also, it’s not safe for pregnant
women or breast-feeding women. It may induce contractions if you’re pregnant.
How can you take
passionflower?
You can add dried
passionflower to boiling water to create an herbal tea. You can find dried
passionflower or prepackaged tea at many health food stores. You can also find
liquid extracts, capsules, and tablets.
Always talk to your
doctor before trying passionflower as an alternative treatment. They can help
you assess the potential benefits and risks.
Passion flower growing
tips
Sun: Passion flowers
need at least 4 full hours of sunlight a day; more in cooler climates and some
partial shade in the hottest areas. Plants may need winter protection in Zone
6. In zones cooler than zone 6, they will be winter-killed, unless you bring
them indoors.
Soil:
The soil should be well-draining, but rich. Passion flowers grow and bloom best
when the soil is kept moist. They don’t handle drought well. Soil pH can be in
the neutral range, anywhere from about 6.1 to 7.5.
Planting:
The addition of compost to the planting hole will help retain moisture. Some
type of support is needed for the vines to grow on. It can be a trellis, a
structure or even another plant.
Most varieties of
passion flower can be purchased as plants. They can also be propagated from
either seed, softwood cuttings, layering or rhizomes.
Growing Passion Flower
from Seed
To save seed, allow the
fruits to ripen completely. Open the pods and remove, clean and dry the seeds
before storing.
Passion flowers seeds
can be difficult to sprout and hybrid varieties will not grow true from seed.
Start seed by soaking for 1-2 days in warm water. Viable seed will sink to the
bottom of the glass. Floating seeds can be discarded.
Start seed in damp
potting mix. Place seed on surface of soil and pat down, but don’t cover. They
need to be exposed to light, in order to germinate. Place the pot in a plastic
bag and seal to retain moisture. If you can provide bottom heat to the pot,
you’ll have a better chance of sprouting. A heat mat or even the top of a
refrigerator should work.
It can take weeks or
months for passion flower seeds to sprout. Keep the soil moist at all times.
When sprouts do appear, keep them out of direct sunlight until there are true
leaves and don’t handle the plants until they are large enough to transplant, with
several sets of leaves.
Chemistry
Many species have been
found to contain beta-carboline harmala alkaloids, some of which are MAO
inhibitors. The flower and fruit have only traces of these chemicals, but the
leaves and the roots often contain more. The most common of these alkaloids is
harman, but harmaline, harmalol, harmine, and harmol are also present. The
species known to bear such alkaloids include: P. actinea, P. alata (winged-stem
passion flower), P. alba, P. bryonioides (cupped passion flower), P. caerulea
(blue passion flower), P. capsularis, P. decaisneana, P. edulis (passion
fruit), P. eichleriana, P. foetida (stinking passion flower), P. incarnata
(maypop), P. quadrangularis (giant granadilla), P. suberosa, P. subpeltata and
P. warmingii.
Other compounds found in
passion flowers are coumarins (e.g. scopoletin and umbelliferone), maltol,
phytosterols (e.g. lutenin) and cyanogenic glycosides (e.g. gynocardin) which
render some species, i.e. P. adenopoda, somewhat poisonous. Many flavonoids and
their glycosides have been found in Passiflora, including apigenin,
benzoflavone, homoorientin, 7-isoorientin, isoshaftoside, isovitexin (or
saponaretin), kaempferol, lucenin, luteolin, n-orientin, passiflorine (named
after the genus), quercetin, rutin, saponarin, shaftoside, vicenin and vitexin.
Maypop, blue passion flower (P. caerulea), and perhaps others contain the
flavone chrysin. Also documented to occur at least in some Passiflora in
quantity are the hydrocarbon nonacosane and the anthocyanidin pelargonidin-3-diglycoside.
The genus is rich in
organic acids including formic, butyric, linoleic, linolenic, malic, myristic,
oleic and palmitic acids as well as phenolic compounds, and the amino acid
α-alanine. Esters like ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, n-hexyl butyrate and
n-hexyl caproate give the fruits their flavor and appetizing smell. Sugars,
contained mainly in the fruit, are most significantly d-fructose, d-glucose and
raffinose. Among enzymes, Passiflora was found to be rich in catalase, pectin
methylesterase and phenolase.
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