Passiflora
Blue passion flower ( Passiflora caerulea)
The species-rich plant genus of the passion vines ( Passiflora ) belongs to the family of the passion flower plants ( Passifloraceae ). Most of the more than 530 species are native to the Neotropics, but about 20 species are native to the Paläotropis.
Description
Passiflora species are mostly herbaceous or woody plants, only one type is an annual plant. Most of them rarely as self erect shrubs or trees grow as climbing plants. In the axils tendrils are formed. The alternate, stalked leaves that are completely different. Extra-floral nectaries are located on the petioles.
The most striking feature of the Passion Flowers are the beautiful flowers with radial symmetry, which may have less than a centimeter to 18 centimeters in diameter. The bloom, often characterized by vibrant colors, enveloping annularly arranged filamentous often intensely colored 15 to 50 staminodes, the aureole. In the center of the flower 's reproductive organs ( five fertile stamens and three stigmas ) to a so-called column ( Androgynophor ) summarized arranged that dominate the bloom far.
Are formed berries.
Origin and etymology
Most of the over 530 Passiflora species are native to South America and Central, and southern North America, but are also about 25 species in Australia ( Passiflora aurantia Passiflora herbertiana and Passiflora cinnabarina ), Asia, Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands off. The Indians used partly their healing or intoxicating effect. The name of passion fruit ( maracujá ) comes from the Portuguese, which has borrowed the word from the indigenous South American Tupi language and means " Mara = supply, Cuja = vessel ".
Christian immigrants detected in the flowers symbols of the Passion of Christ. The ten petals symbolize the apostles without Judas and Peter, the corona ( violet-white ) the crown of thorns, the five stamens (yellow, pentagon -like), the wounds and the three stylus ( reddish-brown, above) the cross nails. The shoot tendrils symbolize the flagella. According to the name Passiflora incarnata - lat the Incarnate ( as Christ incarnatus ). Over time, the Christians also indicated other parts of plants as religious symbols.
Some species
There are just over 530 Passiflora species. They vary in flower color (green, white, pink, hot pink, red, purple, violet, sky blue to very dark blue and black), leaf color and size ( countless shades of green, also variegated and multi-colored, from half a centimeter to one meter ), leaf shape (un - to neungelappt ) and the size of the fruit (several kilograms to a few grams ) and the other shape of the plant.
Through breeding, are in the 20th century, several hundreds of hybrid varieties added. Rarely there are also hybrids which can be despite the same number of chromosomes cross only very poorly.
Also, some tetraploid hybrids and species have been generated by use of colchicine, which usually get larger flowers, leaves and fruits and also makes fertile hybrids again from sterile hybrids.
As a potted plant ( house plant ) best known being the Blue passion flower is ( P. caerulea ) and P. × violacea, a hybrid of P. caerulea with P. racemosa
P. incarnata is a climbing plant with thin, green, woody shoot axes, three-to five-piece lobed foliage leaves and solitary flowers with striking violet-white striped Nebenkrone. It is up to 10 m high and is used in medicine, it is closely related to P. edulis.
The best-known species among the red-flowered passion flower are P. racemosa, P. murucuja, P. alata, P. coccinea, P. vitifolia or P. piresii.
Most passion flower species are originally native to the tropical and subtropical South America, but three in North America ( P. affinis, P. incarnata and P. lutea ) and several in Asia, Australia and Oceania. The North American species, P. and P. caerulea tucumanensis have a frost resistance and can also be planted in Central Europe outside under favorable conditions - for example, for greening of a southern wall. P. caerulea, P. incarnata and P. lutea here are the hardiest plants and can under favorable conditions -15 ° C to endure, however, they freeze back to the ground and spring back from the rootstock ( in P. caerulea) or from their underground rhizomes ( P. lutea, P. incarnata ) sprout again. Certain natural selections of P. incarnata even need a Kältestratifikation in the winter, so that their seeds sprout.
All Passion flower species of the subgenus Astrophea (for example, P. lindeniana and P. macrophylla) are not climbers, but small trees whose leaves can reach one meter in length.
Are known as crops especially P. edulis, P. quadrangularis and P. ligularis which the well-known fruit passion fruit (also used notation: Marakuja ) or Grenadilla (Granadilla ) produce.
System
The genus Passiflora has been a long time in 22 or 24 subgenera divided ( according to Killip classification 1938). Since John MacDougal and Christian Feuillet 2004, the number was reduced to four subgenera. The four monophyletic subgenera by Feuillet & MacDougal 2004:
- Subgenus Passiflora L.: With about 240 species, including the famous P. caerulea, P. incarnata, P. edulis f edulis, P. edulis f flavicarpa and P. ligularis.
They are characterized by the "typical " Passion Flower Blossoms and wear mostly edible to delicious fruit ( Passiflora edulis see ).
- Subgenus Decaloba ( DC.) Rbch. , The approximately 220 species of the genus Decaloba are mostly small and inconspicuous.
These include, for example, P. morifolia, P. coriacea, P. citrina and P. sanguinolenta. Their flowers the colors yellow, red, orange, white and have light green. A special feature of them is that many types of natural form of variegated leaves which trifasciata such as in P. also may have a slightly reddish color.
- Subgenus Astrophea ( DC.) mast. With about 52 species.
- Subgenus Deidamioides ( Harms ) Killip: With about 13 species.
Blue passion flower ( Passiflora caerulea), bloom with the Androgynophor.
Lemon Yellow Passionflower ( Passiflora citrina )
Passiflora alata
Passiflora incarnata
Passiflora kermesina
Passiflora morifolia
Passiflora picturata
Passiflora cultivar
Racemose Passionflower ( Passiflora racemosa ), racemosa = grapey, as the inflorescences.
Passiflora sanguinolenta
Passiflora serratifolia
Passiflora coccinea
Passiflora holosericea
Passiflora loefgrenii
Fruits
The fruit is botanically berries. Fruits of the genus, which are eaten by humans, it is called depending on the type or passion fruit Grenadillen (also Grana Dillen ). They are ovoid, have a solid skin and inside contain an often bitter to sweet or extremely sour tasting juice with many edible seeds (like pomegranates ). They contain a lot of vitamin C.
The fruits of the Blue Passion Flower ( Passiflora caerulea) are about 5 cm long, yellow and the taste rather unpalatable. The fruit of most other species of the subgenus Passion Flower Passiflora are similar, but differ in some very in size, color and taste. The juice of Passiflora edulis is also under the Latin American name Maracuyá (Venezuela: parchita ) mixed in fruit juice drinks. Fruits of the genus Decaloba are much smaller and not suitable for consumption; some are even poisonous. However, species of the subgenus Tacsonia as the Curuba or banana passion fruit (Passiflora mollissima var tripartita ) are cultivated for their fruit. These are elongated and can rarely be purchased in specialized fruit acts.
The following are the passion fruit:
- Purple granadilla ( P. edulis f edulis)
- Yellow Granadilla ( P. edulis f flavicarpa )
- Sweet Granadilla ( P. ligularis )
- Banana Passion Fruit / Curuba (Passiflora tarminiana, formerly P. tripartita var mollissima)
- King or Riesengranadilla ( P. quadrangularis )
Aufgeschnittene Maracuja
Passion Fruit, Yellow passion fruit, passion fruit brown ( cut )
Fruits of P. edulis
Sweet Granadilla ( P. ligularis )
Dried, sterile fruit of Passiflora caerulea: cut
Dried, sterile fruit of Passiflora caerulea, 24 mm in size
Ingredients
Species of the genus Passiflora contain indole alkaloids ( the so-called beta -carbolines Harman, harmine, Harmol, Harmalol and harmaline ), flavonoids ( chrysin, vitexin, isovitexin, orientin and isoorientin ) and saponins as Quadrangulosid. The alkaloids are as carriers of the anxiolytic effects of Passiflora been excluded, but also called flavonoids can not be clearly assigned to this effect. The problem is that not all the ingredients of these plants could be identified, and also the content of these substances even within a species is different. In a case of a toxic effect could be detected by Passiflora treatment. Overall, there is a lack of studies on the acquisition of all plant constituents, their modes of action and potential hazards. However, this is not uncommon in the area of traditional medicinal plants.
Naturopathy
The leaves of passion vines ( largely limited to the type Passiflora incarnata ) are used in herbal medicine against nervous restlessness, tension, irritability, or anxiety and related sleep disorders, back pain and tension or heart problems or gastrointestinal complaints, and also in depressive mood, hysteria or asthma. There are no known side effects. About the tolerability during pregnancy, there is no extensive experience.
The leaves and stems can be used fresh or dried as a tea and are also available as finished products. In addition, many combination products, in part, also offered as juice, mixed with, for example, valerian, St. John's wort, hops, lemon balm or hawthorn.
Evolutionary Biology
Some representatives of the Passion flowers have evolved in the course of evolution, a particular form of mimicry to protect themselves from the foliar feeding of caterpillars of Heliconius butterfly. To avoid cannibalism, the Heliconius butterflies - examined prior to oviposition, whether already on the question sheets eggs of conspecifics. The eggs of Heliconius butterfly are colored yellow. Some species of Passifloraceae themselves produce yellow spots on their leaves and so deceive an infestation before. Also entice passion flower by the secretion of a particular nectar specifically ants and wasps that will eat the eggs and caterpillars of the moth.