Passion Fruit, Grenadilla
Scientific Name: Passiflora
Family Name: Passifloraceae
| Pictures Unavailable to Date |
The name of the passiflora or Passion flower is known far and wide, even by those who have never tasted the fruit. The latter name is more common in English-speaking countries and in France (fleur de la passion) and Italy (fiore della passione). This plant has always aroused some interest, especially the flowers, each part of which has been interpreted, in an imaginative way, as relating to the Passion of Christ. The three styles represent the three nails with which Christ was crucified; the ovary is the sponge soaked in vinegar; the stamens represent the wounds on the hands, feet, and in the side; the crown, which is located above the petals, stands for the crown of thorns, and the petals and sepals indicate the Apostles. Botanically, the genus Passiflora includes species typical of warm or warm-temperate regions, found particularly in America. The majority of these species is grown as ornamentals, and a few have a certain nutritional importance for their edible fruit. Passiflora edulis is undoubtedly the best among the latter species. It is a climbing perennial, native to Brazil, and widely cultivated in tropical regions. It is also grown today around the Mediterranean. The fruit, which is called Granadilla (Grenadilla) or passion fruit, becomes when ripe, the size of an egg and purple-red in color. It contains a sweet and juicy pulp into which the small seeds are so tightly enclosed that it is difficult to eliminate them when eating the fresh fruit. Through particular processes eliminating the seeds, a juice can be extracted from the fruit, which is bottled and widely used in the countries where it is grown. The fruits are also made into various confections and jellies. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]