Passiflora foetida

The Foetid Passion Flower or Stinking Passion Flower (Passiflora foetida), also known as the Wild Maracuja, is a creeping vine which has an edible fruit and leaves that have a mildly rank aroma. It is native to northern South America and the West Indies.

The stems are thin, wiry and woody, covered with sticky yellow hairs. The leaves are three- to five-lobed and viscid-hairy. They give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. The flowers are white to pale cream coloured, about 5-6 cm diameter. The fruit is globose, 2-3 cm diameter, yellowish-orange to red when ripe, and has numerous black seeds embedded in the pulp; the fruit are eaten and the seeds dispersed by birds.

The bracts of this plant are known to serve as insect traps and also possess the mechanism to digest the trapped insects. However, it is still uncertain as to whether the trap is soley for defence or if the Foetid Passion Flower is a true carnivorous plant, meaning whether or not it digests and recieves any nutritional supplement from the insects it traps.

This passion flower tolerates arid ground, but favours wet areas. It is known to be an invasive species in some areas.

Synonyms

Passiflora ciliata Dryand., Dysosmia ciliata M.Roem., Dysosmia fluminensis M.Roem., Dysosmia foetida (L.) M.Roem., Dysosmia gossypifolia (Desv. ex Ham.) M.Roem., Dysosmia hastata (Bertol.)M.Roem., Dysosmia hibiscifolia (Lam.) M.Roem., Dysosmia nigelliflora (Hook.)M.Roem., Granadilla foetida (L.) Gaertn., Passiflora baraquiniana Lem.

References

• Defence and Carnivory: dual role of bracts in Passiflora foetida abstract from Journal of Biosciences 20(5): 657-664, December 1995.