Passiflora caerulea L., Passifloraceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xi fan lian

English: blue passion flower, palikea

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Plant glabrous and often glaucus throughout; stipules semi-ovate; petioles 2-6-glandular, the glands stipitate; blades palmately 5 (rarely 3, 7 or 9)-lobed nearly to the base, the lobes linear-oblong to broadly ovate-oblong, up to 10 cm long, usually obtuse, entire; bracts broadly ovate, 1.5-2.5 cm long, borne close to the flower base; flowers up to 10 cm wide, white or pinkish; calyx tube cup-shaped, the sepals and petals oblong; corona filaments in 4 series, those of the 2 outer radiate, from a half to as long as the petals, blue at the apex, white at the middle, purple at the base, the inner filaments much shorter; operculum filamentose part way; fruit ovoid or subglobose, about 4 cm in diameter, seeds coarsely reticulate."  (Macbride, 1941; p. (4/1):101)

Habitat/ecology:  "In New Zealand, coastal areas, lowland and coastal shrublands and forest margins, light gaps, roadsides, wastelands, farm and orchard hedges, domestic gardens. Prefers forest and shrubland margins and fertile soil. Known to enter and fill forest light gaps, and perceived to be capable of causing damage by smothering plants. It is a climbing plant able to reach the tree canopy and cover a large area."  (Weeds in New Zealand web site)

Propagation:  Seed. Fruits eaten and spread by animals and birds.

Native range:  East-central Brazil to Argentina, widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 492, 537-538, 556) "En RC, está presente en varios puntos del pueblo de San Juan Bautista.  Seria dramático que esta liana logre naturalizarse en la mirtisilva fernandeziana donde podria causar problemas al igual que los generados por Lardizabala biternata Ruiz & Pav.".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 93)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1010) Cultivated and persists.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1010) Cultivated and persists.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 664371) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora caerulea

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Cultivated. Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan.
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 935) "Forest margins and scrub". Escape from cultivation.

Control:  "Stems layer, stumps resprout so followup and control as needed to eradicate. A few seedlings may appear in bared areas. Use herbicide only when roots cannot be pulled. 

Physical:  Pull roots up (all year round). Cut off above ground or tie stems in air to prevent them coming in contact with the ground and taking root. 

Chemical:  1. Cut down and paint stump (all year round): glyphosate (200ml/L) or metsulferon-methyl 600g/kg (1g/L) or Tordon Brushkiller (100ml /L) or triclopyr 600 EC (100ml/L) or Yates Hydrocotyle Killer (500ml/L) or Banvine (200ml/L) or Woody Weedkiller (400ml/L).
2. Spray large masses on ground where roots cannot be pulled (spring-autumn): Banvine (120ml/10L) or Woody Weedkiller (240ml/L) or triclopyr 600 EC (30ml/10L) or Yates Hydrocotyle Killer (15ml/L)"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

Additional information:
Photos and additional information at the Environment Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, web site of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Information sheet from Weedbusters New Zealand.

Additional online information about Passiflora caerulea is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Passiflora caerulea as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Passiflora caerulea may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 664371 (Buelow, G.P. 377754).

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Macbride, J. Francis. 1936. Flora of Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Vol. XIII. 1936-1971, 6 parts.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).