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Purple Passionflower, Maypop - Passiflora incarnata


Family: Passifloraceae - Passion-flower family Genus Common Name: Passion Flower Native Status: NativeDicot Perennial Vine Herb
Passiflora incarnata - Purple Passionflower, Maypop. According to unconfirmed information on Wikipedia, the Cherokees called this Ocoee and therefore the Ocoee River is named after this plant, which is the Tennessee State wildflower. Walker County, Ga - June 23, 2009

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Passiflora incarnata

Distribution of Passiflora incarnata in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
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Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-23Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Purple Passion Flower plant showing blossom and trident-shaped leaf: deeply palmate with three lobes.
Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-23Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
aka Maypop. According to unconfirmed information on Wikipedia, the Cherokees called this Ocoee and therefore the Ocoee River is named after this plant, which is the Tennessee State wildflower. Walker County, Ga - June 23, 2009
Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-23Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Stamens and anthers make for an interesting superstructure above the blossom. According to 16th-century Spanish missionaries, the stigmata represented the three nails with which Christ was fastened to the cross, and the 5 anthers represent the 5 wounds he received in his flesh at the crucifixion.
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-29Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Five petals and five sepals. The sepals in Passiflora incarnata are green underneath and white on top. The petals are white.
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-29Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Passiflora incarnata leaves are palmate, deeply lobed with three lobes. The shape of a lobe was used by early Spanish missionaries to indicate the shape of the spear-tip which pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion, the Passion of Christ, from which the Passionflower gets its name.
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-29Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Fruit of Passiflora incarnata beginning to form; I believe it to be this fruit that gives Passionflower the alternate common name of Maypop.
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Robertson County, TN Date: 2009-October-21Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Passionfruit from Passiflora incarnata is edible. When properly ripe, the seeds are encompassed in a slimy membranes which has a tart-sweet taste. It can be a bit of work to get the tasty slime off of the crunchy seeds, but worth a try at least once. The fruit is ripe when it is slightly softened.
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Reflection Riding, Hamilton County, TN Date: 2010-August-28Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-29Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Passionflower tendril the vine uses to climb on other plants
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Passiflora incarnata

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-June-29Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) vine climbing a ditch bank.
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Passiflora incarnata

References used for identification and information:
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Passiflora incarnata initially published on USWildflowers.com 2009-06-30; Updated 2015-06-25

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer



Code Update 20230302