Passiflora cuneata | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

Passiflora cuneata, information, classification, temperatures. etymology of Passiflora cuneata. Discover the Italian Passiflora Collection by Maurizio Vecchia.

Passiflora cuneata | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

Systematics (J. Macdougal et al., 2004)

SUBGENUS: decaloba
SUPERSECTION: decaloba
SECTION: decaloba


GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OR ORIGIN:

Colombia.


MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 6 °C


IDEAL MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 10 °C


ETYMOLOGY:

The name is attributed to the base of the wedge-shaped leaves (Latin cuneatus, wedge-shaped). 


PHOTOGALLERY:


DESCRIPTION:

P. cuneata does not have a showy flowering or any other aesthetic characteristics of particular interest; however, it is equally appreciated for the discreet beauty of its flowers and leaves. The leaves are bilobate with elongated, spread-apart and deeply incised lobes. Their outline varies during the various stages of growth, but sometimes, on the same specimen, you will find leaves of different shapes. The leaf blade is dotted with two rows of yellow-green nectar glands arranged parallel to the two external ribs.

The flowers also have their own charm: they are not large (the diameter is about 3-4 cm) and their colour is variable. They almost always have consistent petals and sepals of a beautiful pure white; in some specimens, a more or less accentuated pink shade may be evident. The corona of filaments is green at the base and light yellow for the other two thirds.

Its stems have an angled cross-section, are striped on the surface and, in ideal conditions, exceed 3-4 m in length.

It blooms abundantly and continuously, followed by the production of small, globular, green fruits about 1.5 cm in diameter.

It is an adaptable plant, easy to grow and usually presents no particular problems. In nature, it lives at altitudes of up to over 3500 m in the mountains of Columbia and Venezuela; it is, therefore, slightly more hardy than other Passiflora of the Subgenus Decaloba. The minimum recommended winter temperature is around 6-7°C, though it will withstand a few degrees lower for short periods. Given its lightness and small size it is convenient to grow in a pot. In this way, it will always be easy in winter to bring it into a sheltered environment, provided it is well-lit. It requires multipurpose potting soil mixed with a small percentage of sand.

It is very easy to obtain through propagation from cuttings or reproduction from seed.