Passionflower refers to any of the vines in the Passiflora genus. The plant is famous for its beautiful flowers and is used sometimes as a relaxing sedative herb. Passion flowers are plants of the genus Passiflora. The plants are named for the passion of Christ, because the flower structures seemed symbolic of Jesus' scourging, crowning with thorns and crucifixion. Passifloras are native to tropical and sub-tropical America.
The name is believed to originate from the resemblence of parts of the flower to the instruments of Christ's crucifixion.
The members of this genus produce beautiful flowers that are extensively cultivated, even outside their natural range. Passion fruit, Passiflora edulis, is also cultivated for its fruit, and is extensively grown in the Caribbean and south Florida.
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is a common wildflower in the southern US, as the subtropical representative of this mostly tropical family. Its fruit is edible, but is quite seedy and mostly benefits wildlife. As with other Passifloras, it is the larval food of a number of butterfly species.
External links