Passiflora bryonioides
Kunth (1817)
SUBGENUS: decaloba
SUPERSECTION: bryonioides
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OR ORIGIN:
Arizona and Mexico.
MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 5 °C
IDEAL MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 8 °C
SYNONYMS: P. bryonifolia Spreng., P. inamoena A. Gray, P. serrata L.
ETYMOLOGY: Leaves similar to those of plants belonging to the genus Bryonia (Cucurbitaceae).
NOTES: Chromosomes: 2n=12?
DESCRIPTION:
P. bryonioides was previously ascribed to section Cieca of the subgenus Decaloba, until John M. MacDougal, a botanist and passionflower scholar, brought order to the subgenus by publishing a monograph in 1994 entitled 'Revision of Passiflora Subgenus Decaloba, Supersection Bryonioides'. This passionflower was then ascribed to this supersection, together with P. morifolia, P. sicyoides and others.
Less experienced collectors have always confused P. morifolia and P. bryonioides. The two plants resemble each other a lot: they have similar leaves and flowers. The decisive difference lies in the fruits: when ripe they are yellow-green with whitish pulp in P. bryonioides, and are dark purple or black with bright orange pulp in the other species. In Europe, P. morifolia is sometimes sold as P. bryonioides. However, John Vanderplank, in the second edition of the book 'Passion Flowers' (1996), has prepared a useful comparative overview between these and other similar species (page 62).
It is a lively and fast-growing climber. It has trilobate leaves with deep lobes. Sometimes the lateral ones have, at the margins, two secondary lobes of smaller size. The leaf margins have large indentations.
The 3 cm diameter flowers have a white corolla. The corona, formed by a single series of thin filaments, has a brown-purple centre and a white periphery.
Growing the potted plant is simple, as it is adaptable. It has not yet been tested in Italian climatic zones; however, I believe that, by analogy, P. bryonioides could withstand temperatures as low as 5°C.
It propagates from seed and cuttings.
