Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora ciliata
blue passion flower, bluecrown passionflower
fringe passionflower
angular when young, glabrous.
terete to longitudinally ridged, glabrous or densely hairy.
weakly pungent, glabrous;
stipules subreniform, 10–20 × 5–10 mm, glandular-serrate;
petiole glandular, glands clavate;
blade roughly symmetric, 3–10(–16) × 4–11(–14) cm, deeply (3–)5–7(–9)-lobed, middle lobe as long as or longer than lateral lobes, margins entire but often serrate basally on lobes;
abaxial fine veins prominently raised, abaxial nectaries scattered along margins.
not or weakly pungent, glabrous or densely hairy, glandular-ciliate;
stipules pectinate, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, with glandular bristles or hairs;
petiole with glandular bristles or hairs;
blade roughly symmetric, 3–10(–12) × 3–8(–10) cm, moderately 3(–5)-lobed, middle lobe much longer than lateral lobes, margins weakly serrulate to nearly entire;
abaxial fine veins weakly raised, abaxial nectaries absent.
floral tube cuplike, 4–5 mm deep;
sepals white, 20–35 × 10–15 mm;
petals white, 20–40 × 10–15 mm;
corona filament whorls 4, outer filaments dark purple basally, white medially, purple apically (rarely entirely white), linear, terete to slightly flattened, 10–20 mm.
floral tube cuplike, 4–6 mm deep;
sepals white, 18–25 × 7–9 mm;
petals purple to white, 20–25 × 8–10 mm;
corona filament whorls 5–6, outer 2 whorls purple basally, white medially, pale purple apically, linear, terete to transversely compressed, 16–20 mm.
yellow-orange to orange, ovoid to ellipsoid, 30–50 × 30–35 mm.
bright red to crimson, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 30–35 × 20–25 mm.
bracts ovate to ovate-oblong, 15–25 × 10–15 mm, margins entire or weakly serrate, eglandular.
bracts pinnatifid, 20–30 × 15–25 mm, margins serrate to nearly entire, with glandular bristles or hairs.
= 18.
Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora ciliata
Passiflora caerulea is cultivated widely in the flora area but naturalized only in the Los Angeles metropolitan area (see F. Hrusa et al. 2002). It is possibly introduced in the Mule Mountains of southeastern Arizona (J. Koweek, pers. comm.), although this has not been confirmed. It was reported also from Utah by S. L. Welsh et al. (2003), although as “cultivated...long-persisting,” suggesting that it is not actually naturalized there. This species is cold-hardy and can be cultivated in gardens in relatively cold regions (at least USDA plant hardiness zone 6), but it is unlikely to flower in such areas because of relatively short growing seasons, although it still makes an interesting foliage plant. Even in the absence of sexual reproduction, this species can persist and even spread locally by root suckering.
The artificial hybrid Passiflora ×belotii will key to P. caerulea in this treatment. However, the leaves of P. ×belotii are consistently three-lobed, unlike the primarily five- to seven-lobed leaves of P. caerulea.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Passiflora ciliata is relatively uncommon and apparently introduced in the flora area and probably is spreading. Nearly all plants in Florida (for example, R. P. Wunderlin and B. F. Hansen 2003) and some in Texas identified as P. foetida are actually P. ciliata. E. P. Killip (1938) noted the presence of P. foetida var. riparia (C. Wright ex Grisebach) Killip in Florida, which we include in P. ciliata.
Plants of this species within the flora area can be either entirely glabrous or densely hairy throughout; otherwise, they are essentially identical morphologically. The description provided here best reflects its variation within our region, and the species is more variable outside of our range. We treat this species broadly to include many members of sect. Dysosmia that have mature leaves unscented to weakly pungent when bruised and that have bright red to scarlet fruits, characteristics that seem to be consistently associated.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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