Passiflora racemosa

Passiflora racemosa

The red passion flower (Passiflora racemosa Brot., 1817) is a shrub species belonging to the Passifloraceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Violales Order,
Passifloraceae family,
Genus Passiflora,
Species P. racemosa.
The terms are synonymous:
– Passiflora amabilis Mart.;
– Passiflora princeps G.Lodd.;
– Passiflora racemosa var. princeps (Lodd.) G.Don;
– Passiflora varanzof Carrière.

Etymology –
The term Passiflora comes from the Latin “passio, -onis”, passion and “flos, -oris”, flower, i.e. Passion flower, due to its appearance which recalls the symbols of the Passion of Christ
The specific epithet racemosa comes from the Latin “racemosa”, raceme, bunch, in reference to the shape of the inflorescences.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Passiflora racemosa is a plant native to the Rio de Janeiro area, in the Atlantic coastal forest of south-eastern Brazil.
Its habitat is that of the areas on the edges of humid coastal forests.

Description –
Passiflora racemosa is a climbing plant, perennial and evergreen, which anchors itself to plants and supports via tendrils that form in the axils of the leaves.
This plant has woody stems, greyish and almost cylindrical below, herbaceous, glabrous and thread-like above, up to about 10 m long.
The leaves are borne on a 2-4 cm long petiole generally equipped with two pairs of nectar glands; they are alternate, ovate in shape in young plants, generally three-lobed in adult ones, leathery, of a shiny intense green colour, 6-10 cm long with ovate or oblong lobes and entire margins; the stipules (appendages at the base of the petiole which have the task of protecting the leaf in the first stages of development) are ovate with an entire margin, 1-1.5 cm long and about 0.8 cm wide.
The racemose inflorescences are in an axillary position, pendulous, up to about 50 cm long; these are also produced in the older woody part without leaves, bearing numerous flowers of 10-12 cm in diameter, single or in pairs, which open in succession, of a coral red colour.
The racemes can bear up to forty flowers. There are forms with a white crown.
The corolla is made up of 5 oblong sepals, about 4 cm long and 1 cm wide, keeled, 5 oblong petals, slightly shorter than the sepals, and a crown with three series of filaments, those of the external series, of about 0, 5 cm long, they are generally white or purple in color with white ends; the flowers are self-sterile, for cross-fertilization the presence of another plant not obtained vegetatively from the same is necessary, they can however be fertilized by the pollen of another compatible species, such as that of Passiflora caerulea.
The fruit is an oblong-shaped berry, about 6 cm in length and 2-2.5 cm in diameter; It has a pale green color when ripe.
Inside there are numerous seeds, obovate in shape, about 0.5 cm long; the pulp surrounding the seeds is edible.

Cultivation –
Passiflora racemosa is a plant that is also collected in its natural state for food use or cultivated as an ornamental species.
It is an evergreen climber that can be grown with a minimum required temperature of 13 °C; in temperate regions this plant must be grown under glass or in a protected environment.
It is one of the most ornamental species of the Passiflora genus, vigorous, fast growing and with flowering that lasts for a good part of the year, which has given rise to numerous hybrids. Cultivable in tropical, subtropical climates and marginally in warm temperate ones, where temperatures around 0 °C are short-lived exceptions; requires full sun or light shade and fertile and well-drained soils, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, with regular and abundant watering in summer, keeping the soil slightly moist in winter. Where the climate does not allow continuous permanence outdoors, it can be grown in pots in sandy, draining soil, rich in organic substance, to be able to be sheltered in winter in a protected, bright environment.
Elsewhere it is preferable to place it in a sufficiently large greenhouse, where it will flower from late spring until late autumn and, sometimes, even in winter.
Cultivation in pots is not very easy and losses may occur due to chlorosis, root fungi or moisture stagnation. However, established specimens in large pots become spectacular due to their incessant flowering.
It is hardy enough to be grown outdoors in Western Liguria and Southern Italy by placing it against a south-facing wall.
The plant reproduces by seed, possibly scarified and kept in water for two days to encourage germination, in sandy loam rich in organic substance, kept humid at a temperature of 22-24 °C, with variable germination times, even long, but semi-woody cuttings are usually and easily used in summer and layering in spring.
Propagation by cuttings is difficult, however, as it often produces stunted plants. To obtain better results it is advisable to carry it out in March or April, otherwise it will be necessary to resort to sowing.

Customs and Traditions –
Passiflora racemosa is a plant known by various common names. Among these we report: red passionflower (English); passionflower rouge (French); maracujà-do-principe, maracujà-mirim (Portuguese – Brazil); rote Passionsblume (German).
The ripe fruits are yellow in color and have an elongated ovoid shape and the pulp surrounding the seeds is edible
Outside its range it is cultivated above all as an ornamental plant, among the most beautiful of the Passiflora genus, vigorous, fast growing and with flowering that lasts for a good part of the year.
This plant produces shoots that rise up to about 10 m in height.
There are no known uses other than edible and ornamental ones.

Preparation Mode –
Passiflora racemosa is a plant that is known, outside its range of origin, as an ornamental plant and cultivated as such in areas where climatic conditions allow it.
In its range, raw fruits are also consumed, like other similar species.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/passion-flowers-ignite-your-senses

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.