purple passion fruit

purple passion fruit, (Passiflora edulis), species of passion flower (family Passifloraceae) and its edible fruit. The plant is native to Paraguay, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina and is grown in tropical regions throughout the world. The fruit’s intensely sharp flavour has notes of mandarin, orange, and pineapple. Although commonly eaten fresh, the flavour and aroma carry well, making purple passion fruit a popular flavouring for desserts, drinks, and fragrances.

Physical description

Purple passion fruit is an evergreen climbing vine with grasping tendrils. The simple glossy leaves have three lobes. The extremely showy purple and white flowers are fragrant and about 8 cm (3 inches) across; each individual flower blooms for a single day.

The ovoid fruits are about 5 cm (2 inches) across with a rough rind. As the common name suggests, most fruits have a purple exterior, though a yellow-fruited form (Passiflora edulis flavicarpa) is also cultivated. Each fruit contains as many as 250 edible seeds, and each seed is surrounded by an orange-coloured aril that contains juice. On plantations a single passion fruit vine will easily produce some 100 fruits each year. The fruit is ready for harvest about 80 days after flowering.

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Symbolism

The common name, which suits the extraordinary flavour of the fruit, originated with Christian missionaries who noted that various parts of the unusual flower are symbolic of the Passion of Jesus Christ (the last hours of his life, including the Crucifixion). The purple and white wiry filaments of the corona represent the crown of thorns, the five stamens represent the five wounds of the crucified Christ, and the three styles recall the nails that pinned him to the cross. The flower’s five sepals and five petals represent 10 of the Apostles—all but Judas, who betrayed Jesus, and St. Peter, who denied Jesus three times on the night of his trial.