Passiflora vesicaria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Passiflora vesicaria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flowers | |
 | |
| Fruits | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Passifloraceae |
| Genus: | Passiflora |
| Species: | P. vesicaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Passiflora vesicaria L. | |
Passiflora vesicaria is a species of plant in the family Passifloraceae.[1] It was first described by Linnaeus, later synonymized with Passiflora foetida as the varieties Passiflora foetida var. glabrifolia, P. foetida var. hispida, and P. foetida var. isthmia.[2] Vanderplank restored it to full species status in 2013.[3]
Like most Passiflora species, P. vesicaria is a climbing vine. The leaves are three-lobed with a serrate margin; the flowers are solitary with pinnatisect bracts and the corona in several rings.[4] It is distinguished from P. foetida by having hairless to sparsely-haired fruit that ripen to yellow-orange to orange instead of hairy fruit that remain greenish when fully ripe.[2]
Range
Passiflora vesicaria is native to Central and South America, including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama and Costa Rica; and to several Caribbean islands including Trinidad and Tobago, the Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba.[5] The variety P. vesicaria var. galapagensis is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.[2]
It has been introduced in Florida in the United States,[6] South and Southeast Asia,[7] and to many tropical islands worldwide, including Aldabra, Borneo, Caroline Is., Cook Is., Fiji, Gilbert Is., Marianas, Nauru, New Caledonia, and Wake I.[5]
Habitat
Passiflora vesicaria grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.[5]
