Tuesday 26 May 2009

Passiflora laurifolia


Passiflora tinifolia
Curtis's Botanical Magazine Nº 4958, Vol. 83 (1857)

Introduced to Monserrate in 1860.

Passiflora laurifolia L.
Species Plantarum 2: 956. 1753.

Synonyms
Granadilla laurifolia (L.) Medik.
Killip, E. P. 1938. The American Species of Passifloraceae [concl.]. Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 19(2): 333–613.
!Passiflora acuminata DC.
Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2007. Fl. China Vol. 13.
Passiflora laurifolia var. tinifolia (Juss.) Bois
Killip, E. P. 1938. The American Species of Passifloraceae [concl.]. Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 19(2): 333–613.
Passiflora oblongifolia Pulle
Killip, E. P. 1938. The American Species of Passifloraceae [concl.]. Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 19(2): 333–613.
Passiflora tinifolia Juss.
Killip, E. P. 1938. The American Species of Passifloraceae [concl.]. Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 19(2): 333–613.
Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2007. Fl. China Vol. 13.


Illustrated Botanical Magazine 4958 (1857) as Passiflora tinifolia.






PASSIFLORA Tinifolia.
Laurestine-leaved Passion -flower.

Nat. Ord. Passifloreae —Monadelphia Pentandria.
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tab. 4406).

Passiflora (§ Granadilla) tinifolia; foliis oblongis brevi-acuminatis integerrimis basi obtusis, petiolis brevibus infra apicem biglandulosis, stipulis lineari-subulatis, bracteis araplis ovalibua apice pauci-crenatis dentibus glanduligeris, coronae filamentis calycem aequantibus.


Passiflora tinifolia. Juss. Ann. Mus. v. 6. p. 113. t. 41. f. 2. De Cand. Prodr. v. 3.p. 328. Spreng. Syst. Veget. v. 3. p. 36.


A rare and very little known species of Passion-flower, of the group or section called "Granadilla" of De Cand. Mem.: that is, having a triphyllous involucre beneath the flower, whose leaflets are entire or toothed, not laciniated; the calyx ten-lobed; the pedicels single-flowered, and with simple cirrhi arising from the same axils with the flowers. This group contains the eatable kinds of Passiflora. Jussieu's figure and description were made from Richard's dried specimens gathered in French Guiana. We knew not of any other locality, till our friend Charles S. Parker of Liverpool sent us living specimens, derived from Demerara, in July of the past year, 1856. It is a species of considerable beauty, and the fruit, described as " globose, yellow, of the size of an apricot," is probably as esculent and well-flavoured as that of the other edible species, especially of the P. laurifolia, L., its nearest ally; which however differs from our plant in its shorter and, at the base, more heart-shaped leaves, stipules which are truncated obliquely at the apex; in the two glands of the petiole being placed nearer the leaf; in the large, oval, more crenulated leaflets of the involucre, which are equal in length with the calyx, of which the segments do not exceed in length the longest filaments of the corona. It is a plant of easy cultivation in a moist stove.

Descr. Stem climbing, the branches terete, glabrous, tinged with purple on one side. Leaves about four inches long, alternate, distant, oblong or subelliptical, quite undivided and entire at the margin, subcoriaceous, the base obtuse, the apex shortly acuminated; penniveined, the veins connected by slender veinlets. Petiole short, about half an inch long, bearing below the apex two prominent glands. Stipules two, linear-subulate, herbaceous. Peduncle about an inch long, solitary, axillary, single-flowered, having a little below the flower three large erect bracts or leaflets, of an oval shape, membranaceous, green, erect, faintly and distantly striated, crenato-dentate at the apex; teeth few, distant, each bearing a conspicuous gland; these three constitute the involucre, which is about half the length of the flower. Sepals narrow-oblong, greenish-white without, red within. Corona consisting of a double ray; exterior of several filaments half the length of the interior, purple, barred with white at the base, and white at the subcapitate apex; inner row of numerous, equal, thickened but compressed filaments, barred with white and red at the base, and white-purple and white in the upper half; the apex dilated and toothed: there is an innermost circle or ring, which is tuberculated, and which would be considered by some as a third ray. Column, stamens, and styles and stigmas as in the genus.

Fig. 1. Section of a portion of the flower, showing the nature of the corona Filamentosa:—magnified.

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