Passiflora antioquiensis

Karst.

Red Banana passionflower

Passifloraceae Edible: Fruit 116 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Passiflora antioquiensis, the red banana passionfruit, is a species of flowering plant in the family Passifloraceae. It is native to Colombia and is named for the Antioquia Department in Colombia where the type specimen was collected. It was originally described by Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten in 1859. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. With Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima it was hybridised in the Veitch Nurseries in Exeter, England in the 1870s to yield Passiflora × exoniensis, which has also gained the Award of Garden Merit.

Description

A vine. Young leaves are narrow and older leaves have 3 leaflets and are more broad. The red flowers hang on 40 cm long stems. The flowers can be 8-10 cm across. The fruit are banana shaped. They can be 10 cm long by 3 cm wide. They are yellow or red when ripe. The flesh is orange.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or used for making drinks. It has a sweet, vanilla-like flavour and is considered the best-flavoured passion fruit in the genus. The yellow, ellipsoid fruits have an aromatic pulp and measure 4 - 5cm long.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten. They are also used for drinks.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in highland regions. It can grow in reasonable soil. It is fairly sensitive to cold temperatures. It needs good drainage and can grow in sun or light shade. It grows wild above 2,000 m in Papua New Guinea. In the Andes it grows between 800-2,000 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Andes, Asia, Australia, Colombia, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia, South America*,

Cultivation

A plant of higher elevations in the moister tropics. It can also be grown successfully at lower elevations in the tropics and subtropics. Tolerant of occasional slight frosts. Requires a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil and a position in dappled shade. Prefers a circumneutral soil, disliking very acid or very alkaline conditions. Passiflora species tend to flower and fruit more freely when grown in soils of only moderate fertility. Plants require a temperature no lower than around 16°c when they are flowering in order to ensure fruit set. Plants produce tendrils and climb by attaching these to other plants. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to ground level if required to rejuvenate the plant. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe along with the pulp, which helps break down the seed coat and speed up germination. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours in warm water; germination can be further improved by mixing the seed with the juice of a fresh passion fruit of any species. Even so, stored seeds can take up to 12 months to germinate. Place the seed tray in a shady position at a temperature of around 19 - 24°c. Prick seedlings out into individual containers as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when large enough. Cuttings of young shoots taken at the nodes root well in a neutral to slightly acid compost, though 100% sharp sand also produces good results. Cuttings of fully mature wood taken at a node can take 3 months but usually achieve a high percentage success rate. Layering is very easy. Air layering is also suitable.

Other Uses

None known

Production

Plants bear in 2 years. Plants last for 5 years.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 400 Passiflora species.

Synonyms

Tasconia van-volzemii Hook.Passiflora van-volzemii (Lem.) Triana & Planch.

Also Known As

Curuba antioqueana, Gulupa fruta

References (27)

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Castillo, R. O., 1995, Plant Genetic Resources in the Andes: Impact, Conservation, and Management. Crop Science 35:355-360

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