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 The tropical liana passionflower, a fruit ornamental plant that grows not only in the garden, but also in indoor areas, has about 400 species. Her homeland is South America.
The most valuable garden species is Passiflora edulis Simst. - with a herbaceous, partly lignified stem.
Representatives of this species grow in South America, Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, the warmest regions of the Mediterranean, South China (Hainan Island).
The edible passionflower is available in two forms: red-fruited with tastier fruits and yellow-fruited.
The leaves are long (10-12 cm), thin, three-lobed, with jagged edges. The flowers are bisexual, large (5-6 cm in diameter) located in the leaf axils.
Plants bloom in late summer or early autumn.
The fruits ripen 10 weeks after flowering. The fruit is an oval berry (5.5X4 cm), the edible part of which, like the pomegranate, is the seed coat, juicy, slick, with a pineapple aroma, white,
The fruits are eaten fresh, canned, in addition, used for the production of juice rich in vitamin C (50-100 mg per 100 g of juice) and containing 2-5% citric acid.
The plant begins to bear fruit very early, 6-7 months after planting, and can produce two crops a year.
Prefers a humid, frost-free climate, fertile neutral or low-carbonate, light and sufficiently drained soil.
Propagated by seeds or cuttings. Seeds germinate 15 days after sowing. Plants are planted in a permanent place with a nutritional area of 3 X3 or 4 X5 meters.
The second garden species - giant passionflower, or grenadilla (P. quadrangularis L.) - is represented by the largest plants with a tetrahedral stem. The leaves are round-ovate, 16-18 centimeters long. Flowers up to 8 centimeters in diameter, white or red.
The fruits are bronze-yellow, up to 25 centimeters long. Due to the inferior quality of the fruit, it is cultivated less than the previous species.
The third species - laurel-leaf passionflower (P. lauriefolia L.) - is widespread in China. Most often found on personal plots on the island of Hainan. Here it blooms and bears fruit all year round, but still gives the greatest yield from March to November.
Fruits are yellow, 7-12 centimeters long, oval, with slightly pronounced ribbing, taste inferior to edible. They are eaten raw and boiled, as well as fed to animals.
Of other garden species, sweet passionflower, or reed (P. liqularis A. luss.) Should be noted, giving high quality fruits.
Before World War II, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, edible passionflower was grown in greenhouses. It would be useful to test it outdoors in the warmest regions of the humid subtropics of our country.
A. P. Dragavtsev
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