Passiflora rubra

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

Fruit - raw. The whitish pulp surrounding the seed is eaten raw or added to chicha. It is little appreciated. The red, ellipsoidal, hairy fruit is usually about 25mm long. The fruits are 20 - 42mm long and 7 - 17mm wide.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant.

Argentina, Bahamas*, Central America*, Costa Rica, Cuba*, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guiana, Haiti, Lesser Antilles*, Mexico*, North America*, Puerto Rico, South America*, West Indies*,

How to Identify

A fleshy vine. It has tendrils in the axils of leaves. Vines can be 2-5 m long. The stems are angular and have many side branches. The leaves are alternate and simple. They can have 2 or 3 lobes. Leaves are 4-12 cm long by 4-12 cm wide. They are papery and hairy. Underneath leaves are purplish and with easy to see veins. The tendrils can be 20 cm long. The flowers are in the axils of the leaves and occur singly or in pairs. The stalks are 3-5 cm long. The fruit is a fleshy capsule. It is 2 cm across. There are several seeds.

How to Grow

Passiflora species generally grow best in a sheltered, sunny position or in dappled shade. Many of the vigorous species, this one included, can succeed in fairly dense shade, but in such a situation they climb into the canopy of the forest in order to get enough light to flourish, flower and produce fruit. Most species are found in the wild in moist but well-drained soils, generally of a lighter texture, and will often flower and fruit more heavily if the soil fertility is low. They often develop deep roots and can be moderately tolerant of dry spells. Most Passiflora species prefer a neutral to slightly alkaline soil, growing best where the pH is around 6.5 - 7.5. The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round.

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe along with the pulp which will help break down the seed coat and speed up germination. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours in warm water and germination time can be reduced if the seed is then mixed with the juice of a fresh passion fruit (of any species). Even so, it can take 12 months for stored seed to germinate. Place the seed tray in a shady position, maintaining a temperature around 19 - 24°c. Prick the seedlings out into individual containers as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when large enough. Cuttings of young shoots, taken at the nodes. The cuttings root best in a neutral to slightly acid compost, but 100% sharp sand also produces good results. Cuttings of fully mature wood taken at a node. They can take 3 months. Layering. Very easy. Air layering.

Medicinal Uses

The flowers are infused in wine, giving rise to the preparation known as 'Dutch laudanum', due to its narcotic and sedative propertie, which resemble those of the official laudanum. The leaves and roots of some, if not all, members of this genus contain a substance called 'passiflorina' which has similaritiesr to morphine and is an effective tranquilizer. We have no specific information for this species but many species are used in herbal infusions to calm the nerves and help bring about a restful sleep. The leaves of many species are also considered to be anthelmintic, antihysteric and diaphoretic. They are used in Brazil to combat intermittent fevers, cutaneous inflammations, and erysipelas.

Passiflora rubra, the Dutchman's laudanum, is a species in the family Passifloraceae. It is native throughout the West Indies, and to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and eastern Brazil. Passiflora rubra is vegetatively almost indistinguishable from Passiflora capsularis, but the two species may be distinguished in flower and fruit. The ovaries of the flowers of Passiflora rubra has a dense coating of white, or less commonly brownish hairs, and the fruit, while variable in shape, is always obovoid, unlike that of Passiflora capsularis which is tapering at both ends.

Production

Plants flower and fruit throughout the year.

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