Passiflora ligularis
Sweet Granadilla (Passiflora ligularis )
The Sweet Granadilla (Passiflora ligularis ) is a plant of the genus passion vines ( Passiflora ) in the family of the passion flower plants ( Passifloraceae ). It grows as a vine and has about 10 inches wide petals. The natural range is in South America, Central America and Mexico, but it is cultivated in subtropical regions in Africa, Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands. The fruits are used as vegetables.
Description
The Sweet Granadilla is an evergreen, woody at the base and rampant vine with bald, slightly furrowed stems. The spiral tendrils grow from the leaf and flower stalk shoulders. The leaves are arranged opposite one another. The stipules are ovate acuminate and up to 2.5 inches long. The petiole is up to 2 inches long and bears three pairs of glands that sit on projecting horizontally, about 1 centimeter long stems. The leaf blade is ovate, 8-20 cm long, 6-15 cm wide, entire with heart-shaped base and tapered end. Both sides are bare.
The approximately 10 centimeters in diameter blooms are often in pairs to up to 4 centimeters long stems. In the bud they are surrounded by three broadly ovate, acuminate, slightly toothed and 2.5 to 4 cm long bracts. The sepals are ovate-lanceolate, pale green and have a spiny tip. The petals are lanceolate and white with purple dots. The tip of the secondary crowns are filiform, white with purple horizontal stripes and at the end of weakly inflected. The five stamens are mostly grown and have bright yellow anthers. The stamp and the pen are greenish white.
The fruits are broadly ovate, tapered at the base, 7-8 cm large berries. Unripe fruits are green and blue often covered with numerous small greenish white dots that are missing along five narrow longitudinal stripes. Ripe fruits have a thin, hard, brittle and shiny orange yellow skin with greenish or brownish dots. The white or yellowish mesocarp is dry - spongy, tough and tasteless. It has long, roller-like outgrowths on which the seeds grow. The seed coat is glassy, yellowish white or crystal clear. The pulp is thick and has a sweet, almost sour taste. The seeds are flat oval, about 7 mm long and 4 mm wide, glossy black with whitish edges and slightly wrinkled surface.
Dissemination
The natural range of the species located in North America in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Colima, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, Central America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, and in South America in Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is scattered in subtropical areas of Africa, Asia, Australia and grown in the Pacific Islands.
System
The Sweet Granadilla (Passiflora ligularis ) is a species of the genus passion vines ( Passiflora ) subgenus Passiflora in the family of the passion flower plants ( Passifloraceae ). There, the genus of the tribe Passifloreae in the subfamily Passifloroideae is assigned. The species was described in 1805 by Antoine- Laurent de Jussieu first time scientifically. The specific epithet ligularis comes from the Latin and means " tongue-shaped ".
Use
The Sweet Granadilla is after the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) the most economically important species of passion flower. While from the passion fruit juice is extracted mainly the fruits of the Sweet Granadilla be eaten with the seeds fresh as a dessert fruit. The fruit bowl is broken here and ausgeschlürft or spooned the contents. Less often the fruits for making juices or as an ingredient for desserts be used.
The species thrives in tropical mountains and a subtropical climate and is frugal with respect to soil quality. It bears light frost, but no strong heat. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. The fruits are harvested when ripe and are untreated a short shelf life.