Passiflora incarnata

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Passiflora incarnata
MaypopFlowerBBee.jpg
Flower
Passiflora incarnata fruit.jpg
Fruit
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species:
P. incarnata
Binomial name
Passiflora incarnata
L., 1753
Passiflora incarnata map.jpg

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora , the maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is both found as a wildflower in the southern United States and in cultivation for its fruit and striking bluish purple blooms.

Description

Passiflora incarnata Passiflora incarnata 'S1'.jpg
Passiflora incarnata

The stems can be smooth or pubescent; they are long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. Leaves are alternate and palmately 3-lobed and occasionally 5-lobed, measuring 6–15 centimetres (2.4–5.9 in). They have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole that secrete drops of sweet nectar. Flowers have five bluish-white petals. They exhibit a white and purple corona, a structure of fine appendages between the petals and stamens. The large flower is typically arranged in a ring above the petals and sepals. They are pollinated by insects such as bumblebees and carpenter bees, and are self-sterile. The flower normally begins to bloom in July. [2]

The fleshy fruit, also referred to as a maypop, is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green, though it may become yellow-green to yellow-orange as it matures. Like other passifloras, the pulp is gelatinous and encases the seeds. The color of the pulp is originally white and becomes a dull yellow when ripe. The seeds are black and approximately 5 mm in size. As with other passifloras, it is the larval food of a number of lepidoptera species, including the zebra longwing, the Gulf fritillary, the crimson-patched longwing, the Julia, the Plebeian sphinx, and the variegated fritillary. [3] In many cases its fruit is very popular with wildlife. The egg-shaped green fruits 'may pop' when stepped on. This phenomenon gives the P. incarnata its common name, as well as the fact that its roots can remain dormant for most of the winter underground and then the rest of the plant "pops" out of the ground by May, unharmed by the snow.

The maypop occurs in thickets, disturbed areas, near riverbanks, and near unmowed pastures, roadsides, and railroads. It thrives in areas with plentiful sunlight. It is not found in shady areas beneath a forest canopy.[ citation needed ]

The Cherokee in the Tennessee area called it ocoee; the Ocoee River and valley are named after this plant, which is the Tennessee state wildflower. [4] The local salamander Desmognathus ocoee in the Tennessee region is also named after the Cherokee word for P. incarnata. For thousands of years the maypop was a staple food and medicinal plant for the Cherokee and to this day it is a revered piece of their heritage. This, and other passionflowers are the exclusive larval host plants for the Gulf fritillary and non-exclusive for the variegated fritillary butterflies. [5]

Cultivation

Passiflora incarnata is easily cultivated and in its native range and homeland is a common low maintenance garden plant that can be trained to adorn fences and arbors. Passiflora incarnata fruit contain many seeds, each surrounded by an aril holding edible juice, and this juice can be consumed fresh or used to flavor processed products. [6] The wild maypop is an aggressive vine native to the southeastern United States extending into the central US reaching Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. [7] The vines can carpet the floor of thickets within days in favorable weather. The plants grow in full sun and need direct sunlight for at least half of the day. The best soils for P. incarnata are well-drained [8] but the plants tolerate occasionally wet and acidic soils. The plants have a high drought tolerance. P. incarnata can be planted all the year in zone 6–11 (hardiness zone). The space between two plants is 36–60 inches (91.44 – 152.4 cm). [7] One to two years are necessary before they begin bearing. Each flower has a very short life (about one day). Then the fruit develops in two to three months. [8] The harvest depends on vine size and age of the plant but one reported 10–20 fruits per vine. Seeds can be collected in the fall after the fruit has begun to shrivel. There are some problems with nematodes and caterpillars in the culture of P. incarnata. [7]

The flowers appear suitable for carpenter bee pollination and may attract ruby-throated hummingbirds.[ citation needed ] As both bees and hummingbirds look for nectar, the pollen filled flower anthers brush the back of the bee or the face of the hummingbird, enabling pollen to be readily transferred to the central sticky stigma.[ citation needed ]

Passiflora incarnata can potentially become an agricultural weed. The genus Passiflora introduced for agricultural purpose has been reported as an important weed in certain regions of the world. [9] The United States Department of Agriculture notes that P. incarnata is referred to as a weed by these publications: [10] Weeds of Kentucky and adjacent states: a field guide [11] and Weeds of the United States and Canada. [12]

Mechanical control as removing the suckers regularly is advised to prevent the spreading of maypop. It is also recommended to train the vines onto trellis and fences to limit propagation. [9]

Propagation

Sprouting maypop in July Sprouting maypop.jpg
Sprouting maypop in July
A cutting harvested after sprouting inground Maypop sprouted cutting.jpg
A cutting harvested after sprouting inground
Three year old maypop grown from seed Three year old maypop grown from seed.jpg
Three year old maypop grown from seed

It can be grown from seed with four months of cold stratification and a multi-month germination period, but it is notoriously finicky with a germination rate below 20%.

Propagation by root is more reliable. A healthy 4- to 8-inch cutting guarantees strong sprouting within a month, regardless of the harvest time of the year. Thicker roots are more vigorous and can usually be found by digging no deeper than 2 inches in the soil.

The actual lifespan of the maypop plant is not documented. Therefore, how long the root-propagated plants would last, by age of the parent plant, is currently unknown. Maypops planted from seed seem healthier.

The roots themselves grow thick and long across the ground, mostly of a uniform diameter, and do not branch often. The smaller, more branching thin roots eventually grow into longer roots, which become thicker with age.

Pests

Once they find it and congregate, Japanese beetles eat massive amounts of the leaves and some of the flowers.

Immature fruit Maypop immature flower.jpg
Immature fruit

Traditional medicine

Historical uses and folk medicine

Historically, the plant has been used as a herbal medicine. [13] [14] [15]

Maypop with slight pest damage Maypop with slight pest damage.jpg
Maypop with slight pest damage

Passionflower is included in pharmacopeias, such as the European and British Pharmacopoeias in which the dried aerial parts of the plant are mentioned. In North America and South America, tea made from the roots is used as a tonic. [14] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew approval of its marketing because manufacturers did not submit any evidence regarding its safety and effectiveness. [16]

Safety

Young unbloomed flower Young flower.jpg
Young unbloomed flower

A 2013 literature review found that the herb has "a good safety profile". [14] One study found that a daily intake of 800 mg of a dried alcoholic extract, taken over the course of 8 weeks for anxiety, appeared to have been safe. [14]

Passionflower is used as a natural flavoring agent in food manufacturing and is generally recognized as a safe substance (GRAS). [17]

P. incarnata is also listed in the European Register of Feed additives as an animal feed additive. [18]

Interactions

Possible interactions with following medications: [15] [19]

P. incarnata may increase main effects or side effects of medications listed above. [19]

For oral consumption, pregnant or breastfeeding women should use caution and seek medical advice before orally consuming P. incarnata. The effects of oral ingestion of the plant compounds on reproduction or on unborn child have not been tested. [15] [17]

Phytochemistry

P. incarnata contains flavonoids and alkaloids, [15] [20] [19] with leaves containing the greatest concentration of flavonoids. Other flavonoids present in P. incarnata include chrysin, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, kaempferol, and isovitexin. [21]

The main bioactive substances identified in P. incarnata include polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins and other natural antioxidants.[ citation needed ] The polyphenols mainly belonging to the flavones C-glucoside class are present in P. incarnata and these phenols and flavonoids have high potential antioxidant properties [22] that exhibit significant free radical scavenging activity. [23]

Culinary uses

Passionflower has culinary fruits that may be used for jams, jellies and desserts.[ citation needed ] The juice is a favorite flavoring in drinks. It can be used as a fresh substitute for its commercially grown South American relative, Passiflora edulis , a related species with similar sized fruit.[ citation needed ] The fruit can be eaten by hand; it has a mildly sweet-tart taste similar to an apricot and a pleasant scent when fully ripe. The Passiflora family have aromatic, sweet fruit that make it highly appreciated for fresh consumption and as a flavoring aid. [24]

Notes

1. ^a See Monoamine oxidase inhibitor on Wikipedia.

Related Research Articles

<i>Passiflora edulis</i> Species of flowering plant in the passion flower family Passifloraceae

Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil and Peru. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit. The fruit is a pepo, a type of berry, round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is both eaten and juiced, with the juice often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.

<i>Passiflora</i> Genus of flowering plants in the passion flower family

Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae.

<i>Glechoma hederacea</i> Species of flowering plants in the mint and sage family Lamiaceae

Glechoma hederacea is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. It is also sometimes known as creeping jenny, but that name more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia. It is used as a salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well-established introduced and naturalized plant in a wide variety of localities. It is also considered an aggressive invasive weed of woodlands and lawns in some parts of North America. In the absence of any biological control, research conducted by the USDA herbicides are relied upon particularly for woodland ecosystems. The plant's extensive root system makes it difficult to eradicate by hand-pulling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toccoa/Ocoee River</span> River in Georgia and Tennessee in the United States

The Toccoa River and Ocoee River are the names in use for a single 93-mile-long (150 km) river that flows northwestward through the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It is a tributary of the Hiwassee River, which it joins in Polk County, Tennessee, near the town of Benton. Three power generating dams are operated along it.

<i>Passiflora foetida</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Passiflora foetida is a species of passion flower that is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and much of South America. It has been introduced to tropical regions around the world, such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, Hawaii, Africa, and The Maldives. It is a creeping vine like other members of the genus, and yields an edible fruit. The specific epithet, foetida, means "stinking" in Latin and refers to the strong aroma emitted by damaged foliage.

<i>Passiflora caerulea</i> Species of flowering plant in the passion flower family Passifloraceae

Passiflora caerulea, the blue passionflower, bluecrown passionflower or common passion flower, is a species of flowering plant native to South America. It has been introduced elsewhere. It is a vigorous, deciduous or semi-evergreen tendril vine growing to 10 m (33 ft) or more. Its leaves are palmate, and its fragrant flowers are blue-ؤ تنراببوبةاروروبةابروؤزروwhite with a prominent fringe of coronal filaments in bands of blue, white, yellow, and brown. The ovoid بزقنبظرظمصؤمؤنorange fruit, growing to 6 cm (2 in), is edible, but is variously described as having a bland, undesirable, or insipid taste. In South America, the plant is known for its medicinal properties, and is used by both the Toba and the Maka peoples.

<i>Althaea officinalis</i> Species of plant

Althaea officinalis, the marsh mallow or marshmallow, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, which is used in herbalism and as an ornamental plant. A confection made from the root since ancient Egyptian times evolved into today's marshmallow treat, but most modern marshmallow treats no longer contain any marsh-mallow root.

<i>Passiflora tarminiana</i> Species of plant

Passiflora tarminiana is a species of passionfruit. The yellow fruits are edible and their resemblance to small, straight bananas has given it the name banana passionfruit in some countries. It is native to the uplands of tropical South America and is now cultivated in many countries. In Hawaii and New Zealand it is now considered an invasive species. It was given the name banana passionfruit in New Zealand, where passionfruit are also prevalent. In Hawaii, it is called banana poka. In its Latin American homeland, it is known as curuba, curuba de Castilla, or curuba sabanera blanca (Colombia); taxo, tacso, tagso, tauso (Ecuador); parcha, taxo (Venezuela), tumbo or curuba (Bolivia); tacso, tumbo, tumbo del norte, trompos, tintin, porocsho or purpur (Peru).

<i>Tilia americana</i> Species of tree

Tilia americana is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to Cherry County, Nebraska. It is the sole representative of its genus in the Western Hemisphere, assuming T. caroliniana is treated as a subspecies or local ecotype of T. americana. Common names include American basswood and American linden.

<i>Passiflora lutea</i> Species of vine

Passiflora lutea, commonly known as yellow passionflower, is a flowering perennial vine in the family Passifloraceae, native to the central and eastern United States. The vine has three-lobed leaves and small, yellowish-green, fringed flowers that appear in the summer, followed by green fruit that turn almost black at maturity. It grows in moist to wet habitats.

<i>Phellodendron amurense</i> Species of tree

Phellodendron amurense is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae, commonly called the Amur cork tree. It is a major source of huáng bò, one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Ainu people used this plant, called shikerebe-ni, as a painkiller. It is known as hwangbyeok in Korean and (キハダ) kihada in Japanese.

<i>Passiflora vitifolia</i> Species of plant

Passiflora vitifolia, the perfumed passionflower, is a species of Passiflora, native to southern Central America and northwestern South America.

<i>Euptoieta claudia</i> Species of butterfly

Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Even though the variegated fritillary has some very different characteristics from the Speyeria fritillaries, it is still closely related to them. Some of the differences are: variegated fritillaries have two or three broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria; they are nomadic vs. sedentary; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets. And because of their use of passionflowers as a host plant, variegated fritillaries also have taxonomic links to the heliconians. Their flight is low and swift, but even when resting or nectaring, this species is extremely difficult to approach, and, because of this, its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".

<i>Passiflora morifolia</i> Species of vine

Passiflora morifolia, the blue sweet calabash or woodland passionflower, is a twiner, white and purple flowered passion flower with blue or purple fruit. The very fast-growing vine that can grow a few dozen feet in a season. Flowers are ornate, white, blue and purple fruits follow, which ripen to blue or purple. The orange pulp is edible, but not particularly flavoursome. The hardiness of P. morifolia is to at least 32 °F, some sources claim as low as 15-20 °F. It grows well in full sun or filtered sun. The vine is fast growing and once established it is quite vigorous. Its propagation is by seed or by cuttings. It is grown as an ornamental. It is not cultivated for its fruit. It is native to the parts of Central and South America.

<i>Passiflora suberosa</i> Species of plant

Passiflora suberosa is a species of passionflower that is native to the Americas. It is commonly known as corkystem passionflower due to the corkiness of older stems. Other common names include corky passion vine, cork-bark passion flower, corkstem passionflower and corky passionfruit. In Latin America it is called Meloncillo. It is possibly also cryptic and have multiple species in one.

<i>Planchonella eerwah</i> Species of tree

Planchonella eerwah is a rare species of Australian rainforest tree in the family Sapotaceae. Common names include shiny-leaved condoo, black plum and wild apple. It is endemic to south eastern Queensland, with a restricted distribution and regarded as endangered.

<i>Passiflora cinnabarina</i> Species of vine

Passiflora cinnabarina, commonly known as red passionflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Passifloraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a climber or scrambler with three-lobed leaves and red flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passion fruit (fruit)</span> Fruit of several passion flower species

The passion fruit is the fruit of a number of plants in the genus Passiflora.

References

  1. NatureServe (5 May 2023). "Passiflora incarnata". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  2. "Maypop-Passion Flower – Passiflora incarnata". Root Buyer. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  3. The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
  4. "State Symbols". Tennessee Government. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  5. Horn, compiled and edited by Dennis Horn and Tavia Cathcart; technical editor: Thomas E. Hemmerly; photo editors: David Duhl and Dennis (2005). Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians : the official field guide of the Tennessee Native Plant Society. [Edmonton]: Lone Pine Pub. p. 105. ISBN   978-1-55105-428-5.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. McGuire, Christopher M. (1999-04-01). "Passiflora incarnata (Passifloraceae): A new fruit crop". Economic Botany. 53 (2): 161–176. doi:10.1007/BF02866495. ISSN   1874-9364. S2CID   24177586.
  7. 1 2 3 Gilman EF (2015). "Passiflora incarnata (Wild Passion Flower, Maypop)". Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Purple passionflower" (PDF). US Department of Agriculture. 15 August 2008.
  9. 1 2 Mc Guire, C. M. (1999). "Passiflora incarnata (Passifloraceae): A new fruit crop". Economic Botany. 53 (2): 161–176. doi:10.1007/bf02866495. S2CID   24177586.
  10. PLANTS Database. "Purple Passionflower". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  11. Haragan, P. D. (1991). Weeds of Kentucky and Adjacent States: A Field Guide. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN   978-0-8131-3369-0.
  12. Southern Weed Science Society (1998). Southern Weed Science Society's weeds of the United States and Canada [electronic resource]. Champaign, Ill: Southern Weed Science Society.
  13. "Passiflora incarnata". Plants For A Future. 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Miroddi M, Calapai G, Navarra M, Minciullo PL, Gangemi S (2013). "Passiflora incarnata L.: Ethnopharmacology, clinical application, safety and evaluation of clinical trials". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 150 (3): 791–804. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.09.047. PMID   24140586.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Passiflora". European Medicines Agency. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  16. "PASSIONFLOWER: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews".
  17. 1 2 "Food Additive Status List". US Food and Drug Administration. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  18. "EU Animal Feed Register" (PDF).
  19. 1 2 3 Ehrlich, Steven D. "Passionflower". University of Maryland. A.D.A.M. Archived from the original on 2018-01-25. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  20. Miroddi, M.; Calapai, G.; Navarra, M.; Minciullo, P.L.; Gangemi, S. (2013). "Passiflora incarnata L.: Ethnopharmacology, clinical application, safety and evaluation of clinical trials". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 150 (3): 791–804. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.09.047. ISSN   0378-8741. PMID   24140586.
  21. Dhawan K., Dhawan S., Sharma A. (2004). "Passiflora: a review update". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 94 (1): 1–23. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.02.023. PMID   15261959.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. Zhang, Dong-Yang; Luo, Meng; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Chun-Jian; Gu, Cheng-Bo; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Fu, Yu-Jie; Yao, Xiao-Hui; Duan, Ming-Hui (2013-12-01). "Variation of active constituents and antioxidant activity in pyrola [P. incarnata Fisch.] from different sites in Northeast China". Food Chemistry. 141 (3): 2213–2219. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.05.045. ISSN   1873-7072. PMID   23870950.
  23. Ingale, Suvarna P; Kasture, Sanjay B (2017). "Protective Effect of Standardized Extract of Passiflora incarnata Flower in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease". Ancient Science of Life. 36 (4): 200–206. doi: 10.4103/asl.ASL_231_16 . ISSN   0257-7941. PMC   5726187 . PMID   29269972.
  24. Mamede, Alexandra M. G. N.; Soares, Antonio G.; Oliveira, Eder J.; Farah, Adriana (2017-06-04). "Volatile Composition of Sweet Passion Fruit (Passiflora alata Curtis)". Journal of Chemistry. 2017: 1–9. doi: 10.1155/2017/3497216 .