Passiflora herbertiana, or native passionfruit, is a widespread climbing twiner native to moist forests on the coast and ranges of eastern Australia. The subspecies P. h. insulae-howei P.S.Green is endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.[1]
Native passionfruit | |
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Flowers | |
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Unripe native passion fruit | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Passifloraceae |
Genus: | Passiflora |
Species: | P. herbertiana |
Binomial name | |
Passiflora herbertiana Ker Gawl. | |
The leaves are usually 3-lobed usually with a slightly hairy undersurface; 6–12 cm long; with petioles mostly 1.5–4 cm long, with 2 glands at the apex. Stipules are linear, mostly 1–3 mm long. The flowers are 6 cm wide and yellow to orange. The following green berry is 50 mm long with pale spots.[2]
The insulae-howei subspecies is similar: the leaves are usually 4–8 cm long and 5–8 cm wide. The solitary, orange-yellow to greenish flowers, 60 mm across, appear from October to March. The oval green fruits are 40–50 mm long; they are edible but sickly-sweet.[1][3]
The insulae-howei subspecies is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, where it is widespread.[1][3]
Passiflora herbertiana is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone.[4]
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Section Astrophea |
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Section Coccinea |
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Section Decaloba |
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Deidamioides |
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Distephana |
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Laurifolia |
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Passiflora |
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Tacsonia |
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Taxon identifiers | |
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Passiflora herbertiana |
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Passiflora herbertiana subsp. insulae-howei |
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