Passiflora incarnata L., Passifloraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: apricot vine, maypop, maypop passionflower, purple passionflower, red-flowered poka

French: passiflore rouge

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Vine: herbaceous, glabrous or finely pilosulous; stem: terete, younger parts angular; stipules: setaceous, 0.2-0.4 cm long, soon deciduous, entire; petioles: up to 8 cm long, with 2 glands mostly at apex; leaves: 3-lobed or rarely 5-lobed, 6-15 x 7-17 cm, membranous, serrate; peduncles: up to 10 cm, solitary, stout; bracts: oblong with 2 glands at base, 0.4-0.8 x 0.2-0.4 cm, slightly serrate, free; flowers: variable, white, pinkish, pale lavender, mauve, or violet, 6-8 (-9) cm in diameter; sepals: variable inside, green outside, oblong-lanceolate, ca. 3 x 1 cm, slightly keeled outside, keel terminating in an awn 0.2-0.4 cm long; petals: slightly shorter than sepals; corona: several series, white, pinkish, lavender, or violet, outer 2 series 1.5-2.5 cm long, wavy in upper 1/2, inner series 0.2-0.4 cm long; ovary: ovoid, densely tomentose; fruit: ovoid or subglobose, 5-6 x 3.5-5 cm, greenish yellow, edible; seeds: obovate or nearly obcordate, 0.4-0.5 x 0.3-0.4 cm, truncate at apex, reticulate" (Ulmer & MacDougal, 2004; pp. 294-295).

"Stems cylindrical, or angular when young; leaves deeply 3-lobed, mostly 4-6 in. long, toothed, dull above, petioles with 2 glands; flowers 2-3 in. across, white or pale lavender, outer 2 rings of corona filamentous, mostly pink to purple; fruit ovoid, to 2 in. long, yellow, edible. Differs from P. edulis in having herbage usually minutely pilose, leaves dull above, and bracts 3/8 in. long or less" (Bailey & Bailey, 1976; p. 825).

Habitat/ecology:  Cold hardy, full sun or partial shade (Ulmer & MacDougal, 2004; pp. 294-295). In New Caledonia, "largement cultivé et s'échappe parfois des jardins" (Green, 1998; pp. 84-85).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southeastern United States (Ulmer & MacDougal, 2004; pp. 294-295).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 113) Vouchers cited: Franc 103, MacKee 5281 Spontané

Comments:  Localized in Hawai‘i, doesn't set fruit (yet) (David Lorence, pers. com.).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Passiflora incarnata, please let us know.