Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora lutea
blue passion flower, bluecrown passionflower
yellow passion flower
angular when young, glabrous.
terete to subangular, glabrous or sparsely hairy, sometimes densely hairy when young, (above-ground stems annual).
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 pungent, glabrous or minutely hairy;
stipules linear-lanceolate, falcate, 2–5 × 0.5–1 mm, eglandular;
petiole eglandular;
blade roughly symmetric, 2–10(–15) × 1–8(–12) cm shallowly to rarely deeply 3(–5)-lobed, middle lobe slightly shorter to longer than lateral lobes (1/3–2/3 blade length), margins entire;
abaxial fine veins prominently raised (especially in dried specimens), 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 absent;
sepals green, 6–10 × 2–3 mm;
petals pale green-yellow, 3–7 × 1 mm;
corona filament whorls 2, outer filaments pale green to white basally, pale yellow apically, linear, terete, 5–10 mm.
yellow-orange to orange, ovoid to ellipsoid, 30–50 × 30–35 mm.
purple-black, globose to ovoid, 8–15 × 8–15 mm.
bracts ovate to ovate-oblong, 15–25 × 10–15 mm, margins entire or weakly serrate, eglandular.
bracts absent.
= 18.
= 24, 84.
Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora lutea
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.)
Perhaps the most widespread species of the genus endemic in the flora area, Passiflora lutea is probably becoming rarer at its geographic limits because of habitat loss. It is absent from southernmost Texas, and is therefore not sympatric with the similar P. filipes.
Passiflora lutea is our only native species, and one of very few in the genus, that has hypogeal seed germination. It is also extensively rhizomatous, forming rhizomes even as small seedlings. Very cold-hardy, it is able to thrive in cultivation far north of its natural range. The plants are shade-tolerant, but those growing in the open can occasionally form dense masses. The leaves often turn bright yellow in autumn.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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