Passiflora as a Multipurpose Fruit Crop for Temperate Climates

Passiflora as a Multipurpose Fruit Crop for Temperate Climates

Passiflora as a
Multipurpose Fruit Crop
for Temperate Climates
Eric T. Stafne
Fruit Extension Specialist
Mississippi State Univeristy
Outline
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
History
Geography
Breeding
Potential uses
Future
“The Flower of the Five
Wounds”
The healthy, fortunate granadilla,
Granadilla of which but by religious devotion
It is said that one can see the expression of our
redemption
And its sacred mysteries, made visible in this
plant,
In its fruit, in its leaves, in its excellent flower,
Of our Redeemer who died for all
Column, Cross and Whip, Lance, Crown and
Nail.
Paul Contant (1628)
Style (nails)
Floral Corona
(crown of
thorns)
Tendrils
(whips)
Androgynophore (column
or cross) – not shown
Stamen (wounds)
Petals and
Sepals (Lances
or Apostles)
I. History
• Archaeological evidence (S.E.
U.S.) of consumption
• Important food crop for Native
Americans since Late Archaic
period
• Increase consumption over time
History
• Algonkian (Virginia) and Creek
(Florida)
• May have been domesticated
• Europeans also consumed P.
incarnata
Early Description
Here is a fruit by the natives called a
Maracock that grows low and creeps in a
manner among the corn. It is of the size
of a Queen-apple, and has many blue
kernels, like a Pomegranate. It blooms a
most sweet and delicate flower and is a
good summer cooling fruit. And in every
field where the Indians plant their corn
there are cart-loads of them.
Strachey (1612)
II. Geography
• South America
• Mississippi
• Florida
Native Areas
•
•
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South America (95%)
Asia
Australia
North America
South America
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Native range, Brazil
Andean region
Passiflora edulis
P. edulis var. flavicarpa
Other species (P. caerulea, P.
antioquiensis, P. mollissima)
Distribution of Passiflora
in the United States
SE U.S.
Mississippi
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Passiflora incarnata
P. lutea
Survives winter below ground
Herbaceous perennial
P. incarnata distribution
in Mississippi
Florida
• Many native species (P. incarnata,
P. lutea, P. multiflora, P. pallens,
P. sexflora, and P. suberosa)
• R. J. Knight
• ‘Byron Beauty’
III. Breeding
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Breeding potential
Fruit production
Ornamental traits
Phamacological properties
Obstacles
Progress
Breeding Potential
• Sufficient genetic variation
• Wide geographic range
• Large flowers (controlled
pollinations)
• Short life cycle
• Asexual propagation
• Genetic engineering
Fruit Production
• Native and Non-native fruit
• R. J. Knight – University of
Florida, Homestead
• Interspecific crosses
• P. incarnata potential, P. lutea
not
• Introduction of temperate
climate genotypes
Commercial Species
• P. edulis – Granadilla or The Purple
Passion Fruit
• P. edulis var. flavicarpa
• P. quadrangularis – The Giant Granadilla
• P. ligularis – The Sweet Granadilla
• P. laurifolia – The Water Lemon
• P. mollissima – The Banana Passion Fruit
More Edible Species
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P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
actinia
alata
ambigua
coccinea
laurifolia
ligularis
maliformis
manicata
•
•
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•
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•
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
membranacea
mixta
nitidia
quadrangularis
spectabilis
vitifolia
Interspecific Hybridization
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Common chromosome number
Induction of polyploidy
May require hand pollination
Overwinter in Georgia
No commercial success
Passiflora edulis
Passiflora incarnata
P. incarnata fruit
P. edulis and P. edulis
var. flavicarpa fruit
Ornamental Traits
• Interspecific hybrids
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–
‘Byron Beauty’
‘Lady Margaret’
‘Red Inca’
‘Incense’
• White-flowered genotypes
• Attractant
• Cold Tolerance
‘Byron Beauty’
‘Lady Margaret’
‘Red Inca’
‘Incense’
White-flowered
P. incarnata
P. caerulea
Pharmacological
Properties
• Sedative
• Antispasmodic (in Europe)
• P. edulis not same effect as P.
incarnata
• P. lutea unknown
• Antioxidants (P. lutea pigmentation)
Obstacles
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Self incompatibility
Pollen sterility
Weediness
Cost
Interest
Progress
• Small breeding efforts
• Private breeders
• Interspecific ornamental
hybrids
• Promising fruit hybrids
IV. Potential Uses
• Economic fruit crop (Fresh
and/or juice)
• Herbal remedy
• Butterfly, bee, hummingbird
• Home beautification and
enhancement
V. Future Work
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Expansion of growing area
Interspecific hybridization
Compatibility issues
Pharmaceutical products
Antioxidant activity
Cultural and management
strategies
Pertinent Literature
• Gremillion, K.J. 1989. The development of a
•
•
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mutualistic relationship between humans and
maypops in the southeastern United States. J.
Ethnobiol. 9:135-155.
Hoch, J.H. 1934. The legend and history of
Passiflora. Am. J. Pharm. 106:166-170.
McGuire, C.M. 1999. Passiflora incarnata: A new
fruit crop. Econ. Bot. 53:161-176.
Vanderplank, J. 2000. Passion Flowers. 3rd Ed., MIT
Press.
Winters, H.F. and R.J. Knight, Jr. 1975. Selecting
and breeding hardy passionflowers. Amer. Hort.
54:22-27.