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Passiflora vitifolia Kunth

Crimson passion flower, grape-leaved passion fruit, perfumed passionflower, vine-leaf passion flower, passion flower

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderMalpighialesA broad group encompassing 16,000 species
FamilyPassifloraceaeNamed from passion flowers, also includes maypop and various trees, shrubs and vines
GenusPassifloraFrom Latin passio, “passion,” and flos, “flower”
Speciesvitifolia

About plant names...

The crimson passion flower is native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, in South and Central America. It is becoming naturalized in Hawaii, but is not found in the wild elsewhere in North America.

Identification: These evergreen vines reach 25′ (7.6 m) in length. The vine extends tendrils that encircle supports, then coils them like springs to achieve a more robust grasp. This species' leaves resemble grape leaves, hence the name vitifolia. Dark green leaves have three lobes, and fuzzy undersides. Beautiful red flowers are 5-6″ (12-15 cm) in diameter, with 10 petals. (Okay, technically, there are five petals and five petal-like sepals.) Fruits are egg-shaped, green with yellow or white spots, soft and juicy.

Passiflora vitifolia (crimson passion flower, grape-leaved passion fruit, perfumed passionflower, vine-leaf passion flower, passion flower)

Passiflora vitifolia flower, by Density.

Edibility: Fully ripened fruits taste similar to sour strawberries, and are tasty when sweetened.

Online References:

Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site

Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers

Sagebud.com

Wikimedia Commons

Desert-tropicals.com

Gymnosperms.org

Stricollections.org

 

Passiflora vitifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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Passiflora vitifolia (crimson passion flower, grape-leaved passion fruit, perfumed passionflower, vine-leaf passion flower, passion flower)

8/31/2013 · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm)

Passiflora vitifolia (crimson passion flower, grape-leaved passion fruit, perfumed passionflower, vine-leaf passion flower, passion flower)

3/11/2005 · Costa Rica

Range: Zones 10-12:

About this map...