Species
Passiflora edulis f. edulis
Etymology
Passiflora: Passionflower
Common Name(s)
black passionfruit
Family
Passifloraceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants
Habitat
Terrestrial. Forest margins and shrubland in frost-free areas.
Features
Vigorous vine, glabrous except for pistil and stamens. Shoots slightly angular. Leaves deeply 3-lobed, but entire on young plants; up to 15 cm long on mature plants. Solitary flowers up to 10 cm across with white petals and filaments largely white but purple towards base, hypanthium inconspicuous. Dark purple round fruit containing sweet orange pulp and small black seeds.
Similar Taxa
Most similar to P. caerulea in flower, but this species has leaves with 5 lobes.
Flowering
July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March
Flower Colours
Violet / Purple,White
Year Naturalised
1950
Origin
tropical America
Reason For Introduction
Agricultural
Life Cycle Comments
Perennial. can live for a long time, often succumbs to fungal infections.
Reproduction
Reproduces by seed, probably some stem layering.
Seed
Many seeds are produced.
Dispersal
Tends to be spread by people but birds can also spread seeds to remote sites.
Tolerances
Intolerant of frosts. Prefers high light sites.
References and further reading
Heenan, PB; Sykes, WR 2003. Passiflora (Passifloraceae) in New Zealand: a revised key with notes on distribution. NZ J Botany 41: 217-221. DOI: 10.1080/0028825X.2003.9512842
This page last updated on 25 Feb 2016