Passiflora laurifolia L., Passifloraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: zhang ye xi fan lian

English: bell apple, belle apple, Jamaica honeysuckle, passion fruit, sweetcup, water lemon, yellow granadilla, yellow water lemon

French: pomme d'or, pomme-liane

Samoan: pāsio, pāsio, pāsio ‘ai mata, pāsio ‘ai mata, pāsio esi, pāsio esi

Spanish: parcha

Tongan: vaine ‘ae kumā, vaine ‘ae kuma, vaine tinetina

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Lianas.  Leaves coriaceous, blades oblong, 6.5-14 cm long, 4.5-6.5 cm wide, glabrous, margins entire, petioles with 2 rounded, subsessile nectaries ca. 1 mm long at apex, stipules linear-lanceolate, up to ca.10 mm long, deciduous.  Flowers pendent, campanulate, 6-7 cm in diameter, peduncles solitary, bracts obovate to elliptic, 3.5-4.3 cm long, 2-2.8 cm wide; hypanthium 0.4-0.8 cm long; sepals and petals white or splotched with purple; corona purple-banded, filamentous, ca. 2 cm long.  Berries yellow, ovate to globose, 5-6.3 cm long, 3-4.5 cm in diameter, aril white, edible"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1011, 1887).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in mesic to wet, disturbed areas, climbing over vegetation, 0-280 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1011).  In Fiji, "a cultivated and sparingly naturalized climbing vine found...near sea level"  (Smith, 1981; pp. 668-669).

Propagation:  Seed, spread by birds and animals.

Native range:  West Indies, Guianas, and South America from Venezuela to eastern Brazil; widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 668-669) Voucher cited: Smith 400
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: L. Dunn & J.-Y. Meyer 398 (PAP) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 40923) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 212)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 212) Vouchers cited: Setchell & Parks 210, Grant 4428, Grant 5337
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 4449 (PAP), J. Florence & J.-C. Jolinon 8093 (PAP) Naturalisée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1011)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1011)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Meidell, J. Scott/Oppenheimer, H. L./Bartlett, R. T. (1998) (p. 7) West Maui. Voucher cited: Meidell & Oppenheimer 129 (BISH) Naturalized in alien dominated lowland mesic forest at an elevation of 378 m.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (1999) (p. 13) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 980807-22 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1011)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1011)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 162) Voucher cited: CHR 169817
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 32)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 24)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 86) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9954 (BISH), Yuncker 10177 (BISH)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)		Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 37)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 104) "Potential invader".
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 11035 (PAP) Naturalisée
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 642002) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Aleipata Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1983)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 429113) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 67)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1955) (voucher ID: BISH 168849) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 417629) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 55)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 54) Voucher cited: Soakai 147
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 192) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15212
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 41375) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 168837) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1980) (voucher ID: BISH 436741) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia L.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1989) (voucher ID: PTBG 3301) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora laurifolia
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 68)

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, Guangdong.
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 67) Naturalised

Comments:  A problem species in Hawai‘i.

Additional information:
Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawaii "Plants of Hawaii".
Information from the Purdue University NewCROP web site.

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

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1929. Voucher specimen #BISH 429113 (Christophersen, E. 703).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1953. Voucher specimen #BISH 168837 (Yuncker, T.G. 15212).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1955. Voucher specimen #BISH 168849 (McKee, H.S. 2960).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1958. Voucher specimen #BISH 41375 (Soakai, E. 147).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1973. Voucher specimen #BISH 417629 (Whistler, W.A. W 756).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1980. Voucher specimen #BISH 436741 (Palmer, M. 88).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1991. Voucher specimen #BISH 642002 (Florence 11035).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

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).

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 2010. Checklist of the plants of Palau. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 44 pp.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

McCormack, Gerald. 2011. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

Meidell, J. Scott/Oppenheimer, H. L./Bartlett, R. T. 1998. New plant records from West Maui. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1997. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 56:6-8.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Porcher, Michel H. 2011. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. The University of Melbourne, Australia. Online resource.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2000. Report to the Government of Niue on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 34 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2001. Report to the Kingdom of Tonga on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 78 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 1999. New plant records from East Maui for 1998. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 59:11-15.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

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).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1983. Vegetation and flora of Aleipata Islands, Western Samoa. Pac. Sci. 37: 227-249.

Whistler, W. A. 1983. Weed Handbook of Western Polynesia. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, Eschborn. 151 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 2000. Plants in Samoan culture: The ethnobotany of Samoa. Isle Botanica. 234 pp. ISB: 0-9645426-6-8.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.

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