Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora pallens
blue passion flower, bluecrown passionflower
pineland passionflower
angular when young, glabrous.
terete when young, glabrous.
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.
weakly to moderately pungent, glabrous;
stipules subreniform, 10–20 × 5–14 mm, eglandular;
petiole glandular, glands clavate;
blade roughly symmetric, 1.5–6 × 2.5–9 cm, shallowly 3-lobed, middle lobe as long as or longer than lateral lobes, margins serrate basally;
abaxial fine veins moderately 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, 3–5 mm deep;
sepals white, 30–35 × 7–12 mm;
petals white, 20–30 × 6–10 mm;
corona filament whorls 4, outer filaments green basally, white apically, with alternating lines of purple, linear, terete, 7–15 mm.
yellow-orange to orange, ovoid to ellipsoid, 30–50 × 30–35 mm.
yellow to yellow-orange, ovoid, 30–50 × 25–35 mm.
bracts ovate to ovate-oblong, 15–25 × 10–15 mm, margins entire or weakly serrate, eglandular.
bracts ovate, 10–20 × 9–12 mm, margins basally serrate to glandular-serrate basally.
= 18.
Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora pallens
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.)
Leaf and stipule variegation, although rare within subg. Passiflora, is occasionally found in Passiflora pallens, and may serve to camouflage plants from predators in the dappled shade of their habitats. Listed as endangered in Florida, in the flora area it is found only in the southernmost part of the state.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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