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Description

General Description 

Passion fruit is a woody, perennial vine that bears a delicious fruit and occurs in purple- and yellow-fruited forms (Passiflora edulis Sims f. edulis and P. edulis f. flavicarpa) known as purple and yellow passion fruits. The plants have a weak taproot and extensive ivory-colored lateral roots. The stem is usually solitary, up to 7 cm in basal diameter, extends 5 to 10 m or more into the crowns of trees, and is covered by a thin, flaky, light brown bark. The stem-wood is light and brittle. The twigs are yellow-green, turning brown, and support themselves on vegetation by means of tendrils that arise at the leaf axils. The leaves are alternate, green to yellow-green, three-lobed (on mature plants) with serrate edges. The petioles are 3 to 6 cm long and the blades are 5 to 11 cm long by 4 to 10 cm broad. Solitary flowers arise at the leaf axils. The flowers measure 5 to 7 cm across with five greenish-white sepals and five white petals topped with a fringe-like corona of straight purple and white rays. There are five stamens with large anthers and a triple-branched style. The fruit is globose or ovoid, purple or yellow and 4 to 7 cm in diameter. Inside a thick rind are many dark-brown to black seeds enveloped in small sacs filled with aromatic yellow or orange juice. The fruits of the purple passion fruit are smaller but more aromatic than those of the yellow form.

Passion flowers are a large genus of climbing plants with very showy flowers. They display a large range of colors and make an excellent choice of plants to decorate/hide a wall or trellis - because their natural habitats cover a large range in altitudes (up to 3000m) there's always a species that will be suited for any garden. Some species produce edible fruits and will offer an added value in autumn. The flowers bear 5 vividly-colored tepals and a very large corona consisting of radial filaments which often curl. The plants produce tendril that embrace and curl around everything they touch. In their habitat they cling onto other plants, they don't grow a sturdy trunk. Some species are known to grow 6 meters in one Summer.

Introduction

Passion fruit is known in Hawaii as lilikoi, golden passion fruit in Australia, maracuja peroba in Brazil, and yellow granadilla in South Africa. It is also known as parcha, granadilla, maracuya, ceibey and linmangkon. It is a vigorous, shallow rooted, perennial vine that climbs by means of tendrils.  Passion flowers are a large genus of very showy flowers. They display a large range of colors and make an excellent choice of plants to decorate/hide a wall or trellis - because their natural habitats cover a large range in altitudes (up to 3000m) there is always a species that will be suited for any garden. Some species produce edible fruits and will offer an added value. The flowers bear 5 vividly-colored tepals and a very large corona consisting of radial filaments which often curl. The plants produce tendril that embrace and curl around everything they touch. In their habitat they cling onto other plants, they don't grow a sturdy trunk. Some species are known to grow 6 meters in one summer.

There are mainly three types of passionfruit under cultivation. They are the yellow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa) which is suited to tropical conditions or the plains, the purple passionfruit (Passiflora edulis forma edulis) which grows best under sub-tropical conditions or high altitudes and the giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis).  The yellow passionfruit is tolerant to many of the soil borne pests and diseases that affect the purple type, and is more prolific, bearing larger, heavier fruit with more juice, which has a higher acid content than the purple type.  The flavour of the purple type is preferred over that of the yellow type. The purple and yellow passion fruit have trilobed leaves 10-18 cm long with finely-toothed margins. The giant granadilla has rounded-oblong leaves 10-20 cm long and its stem is characteristically square in cross section. Flowers of the purple passion fruit are normally smaller, approximately 4.5 cm in diameter, than those of the yellow form, about 6 cm in diameter. Both are dull white with very deep blue centers. Flowers of the giant granadilla are quite different; they droop like old-fashioned lampshades and their petals are deep maroon on the inner surface. The purple passion fruit bears dark-purple or nearly black, rounded or egg-shaped fruit about 5 cm long, weighing 30-45 g. Fruit of the yellow passion fruit is deep yellow and similar in shape but slightly longer (6 cm) than the purple passion fruit. It weighs 60-90 g.   Fruits contain numerous small, black wedge-shaped seeds that are individually surrounded by deep orange-colored sacs that contain the juice, the edible part of the fruit. The giant granadilla bears irregularly rounded or oblong-shaped fruit 10-20 cm long and has a thick, edible rind in addition to black seeds surrounded by juice sacs. It may weigh 225-450 g or more. Its fruits are rich in mineral salts and vitamins, especially A and C, and its juice has a wonderful aroma and flavor. It is widely accepted in different markets and there is a large potential for exports, not to mention its pharmacological properties.

 

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Address

Pineapple Research Station
Kerala Agricultural University
Vazhakkulam
Muvattupuzha
Ernakulam Kerala 686670
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