PASSIFLORACEAE
Morphological description
Climbers.
Leaves
Leaves simple, entire, but sometimes lobed, stipulate. Leaves usually spiral, with glands on petiole and base of lamina, axillary tendrils. Sometimes leaves opposite (Passiflora cochinchinensis).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flowers hypanthium cup-shaped or tubular, bearing calyx, corolla and corona, actinomorphic, ovary superior, placentation parietal. Usually androgynophore, styles 3.
Fruit
Fruit usually a berry. Sometimes fruit a dehiscent capsule (Adenia).
Seed
Seed arillate.
Different from: Cucurbitaceae: tendril beside the petiole, ovary inferior. - Vitaceae: tendril leaf-opposed, style one, seeds not arillate.
Distribution: Worldwide, best represented in South America, in Malesia 3 genera: - Adenia (paleotropics); - Hollrungia (East Malesia), mostly in lowland primary and secondary rain forest; - Passiflora (Neotropics, Indo-Australia).
Notes: Paropsia (Flacourtiaceae) is sometimes placed in Passifloraceae; several species of introduced Passiflora are cultivated for their fruits or as ornamentals.
Literature: W. J.J.O. de Wilde, Fl. Males. I, 7 (1972) 405-434.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Passifloraceae 81, 104 - Adenia 4, 31, 64, 82 - Hollrungia 4, 18, 31 - Passiflora 4, 31, 82; P. cochinchinensis 6, 45; P. quadrangularis 15.
Illustrations: Fig. 135. Passiflora hollrungii K. Sch. (Passifloraceae). Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 7 (1972) 409, fig. 1a.
Image in PhytoImages for Passifloraceae