Passiflora

Passiflora is also known as the passion flowers or passion vines. It is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants. They are mainly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. See passionfruit for information about the fruit of the passiflora plant.

Passiflora
Passiflora × kewensis
P. platyloba fruit , often confused with P. quadrangularis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Malpighiales
Family:
Passifloraceae
Genus:
Passiflora

Species

About 500, see list

Synonyms
  • Anthactinia Bory ex M.Roem.
  • Asephananthes Bory
  • Astrophea Lam. ex M.Roem.
  • Baldwinia Raf.
  • Ceratosepalum Oerst.
  • Cieca Medik.
  • Decaloba M.Roem.
  • Disemma Labill.
  • Granadilla Mill.
  • Hollrungia K.Schum.
  • Monactineirma Bory
  • Murucuja Medik.
  • Pentaria M.Roem.
  • Poggendorffia H.Karst.
  • Tacsonia Juss.
  • Tetrapathaea (DC.) Rchb.
  • Tetrastylis Barb.Rodr.

The family Passifloraceae is characterized by a pantropical distribution. Passiflora is absent from Africa, which, instead, hosts many other members of its family (e.g. the more plesiomorphic Adenia).

There are nine species of Passiflora native to the USA, from Ohio to the north, west to California and south to the Florida Keys. Most other species are found in South America, China, and Southern Asia, New Guinea, four or more species in Australia and an endemic species in New Zealand.


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