Passiflora cumbalensis | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

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

Passiflora cumbalensis | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

Systematics (J. Macdougal et al., 2004)

SUBGENUS: passiflora
SUPERSECTION: tacsonia
SECTION: elkea


GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OR ORIGIN:

 Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.


MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 2 °C


IDEAL MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 5 °C


SYNONYMS:

Tacsonia glaberrima var. loxensis M. Roemer, Tacsonia cumbalensis Larst., Tacsonia glaberrima var. cumbalensis, Passiflora goudotiana Tr. & Plank., Tacsonia hederacea Mast.,  (?) Tacsonia tungurahue Sodiro, Tacsonia cyanea Sodiro, Tacsonia cyanea var. insignis Sodiro, Tacsonia ecuadorica Killip.


ETYMOLOGY:

Designation of geographical origin: Vulcano Cumbal (Colombia).


PHOTOGALLERY:


DESCRIPTION:

Like many passionflowers belonging to supersection Tacsonia, P. cumbalensis also lives in the mountains of Colombia and Ecuador at altitudes between 2000 and 4000 m. It likes a cool environment and does not tolerate high summer temperatures. It is probably adaptable to many Italian climatic zones such as the Ligurian Riviera and the coastal areas of the great northern lakes where any frosts are likely to be sporadic and fleeting.

This species is rich in many varieties, for example: P. cumbalensis var. cumbalensis, P. cumbalensis var. cuencana, P. cumbalensis var. goudotiana, P. cumbalensis var. pilosa, P. cumbalensis var. sparrei, among others. They are all characterised by their narrow, elongated, cylindrical calyx tube in various shades of deep purple, so much so that Killip proposed the name Tacsonia cyanea (from the Latin: cyaneus, dark blue). This colour contrasts with the cyclamen, bright pink and blue-magenta of the corolla.

The flower is pendulous, hanging from a long, mobile petiole. The calyx tube is 7 to 11 cm long, has a maximum diameter of 1 cm, and at its base is covered by three lanceolate bracts. The corolla also reaches 11 cm in diameter. The corona is made up of a series of short dark purple and white filaments.

The trilobate leaves vary considerably in shape depending on the variety. Those of P. cumbalensis are regular (14 x 16 cm) while others have short, stocky side lobes with a prevalent central one. Indeed, var. pilosa has ivy-like foliage.

The fruit is an elongated ovoid (10 x 3.5 cm), yellow when ripe and edible.

Propagation can be done both from seed and from cuttings.