I'ASSIFLORA 



PASSIFLORA 



2481 



the conversion of the heathen among whom it grows. 

 Alluding to the bell-like shape assumed by the flower 

 during the greater part of its existence (i.e., whilst 

 it is expanding and fading), Bosio remarks: 'And it 

 may well be that, in His infinite wisdom, it pleased Him 

 to create it thus shut up and protected, as though to 

 indicate that the wonderful mysteries of the Cross and 

 of His Passion were to remain hidden from the heathen 

 people of those countries until the time preordained by 

 His Highest Majesty.' The figure given to the Passion- 

 flower in Bosio's work shows the crown of thorns twisted 

 and plaited, the three nails, and the column of the flag- 

 ellation just as they appear on ecclesiastical banners, 

 etc. 'The upper petals,' writes Bosio in his description, 

 'are tawny in Peru, but in New Spain they are white, 

 tinged with rose. The filaments above resemble a 

 blood-coloured fringe, as though suggesting the scourge 

 with which our blessed Lord was tormented. The col- 

 umn rises in the middle. The nails are above it; the 

 crown of thorns encircles the column; and close in the 

 center of the flower from which the column rises is a 

 portion of a yellow colour, about the size of a reale, in 

 which are five spots or stains of the hue of blood, evi- 

 dently setting forth the five wounds received by our 

 Lord on the Cross. The colour of the column, the crown, 

 and the nails is a clear green. The crown itself is sur- 

 rounded by a kind of veil, or very fine hair, of a violet 

 colour, the filaments of which number seventy-two, 

 answering to the number of thorns with which, accord- 

 ing to tradition, our Lord's crown was set; and the 

 leaves of the plant, abundant and beautiful, are shaped 

 like the head of a lance or pike, referring, no doubt, to 

 that which pierced the side of our Savior, whilst they 

 are marked beneath with round spots, signifying the 

 thirty pieces of silver. 1 " 



Passifloras as gardener's ornamental plants. 

 (J. J. M. Farrell.) 



These plants constitute a large family or group of 

 evergreen climbers. They will show to best advantage 

 when they can be planted out permanently in a warm 

 conservatory and where they can have comparatively 

 large space to climb. They may also be grown in pots 

 when the conditions do not permit other methods of 

 handling. 



Passifloras may be propagated either by cuttings or 

 seeds. They may be rooted from young growth taken 

 any time from the middle of January until April. These 

 cuttings are placed in a warm propagating-bed, and 

 kept shaded and moist, and in a short time they will 

 root ; they are also inserted in small pots in a mixture 

 of loam, peat, and sand, in equal parts, and plunged in 

 the propagating-bed. When rooted, the cuttings are 

 potted off, using a compost of loam four parts, leaf- 

 mold two parts, well-rotted cow-manure one part, and 

 which should contain enough sand to keep it porous. 

 Keep shaded until they become well established, when 

 they may be given a place well up to the glass in full 

 sun. The passifloras are also readily raised from seed 

 sown in spring, and the plants potted off as soon as big 

 enough. 



The plants will stand a night temperature of 65 to 

 70 : this can be increased until it reaches 80 to 85 for 

 a day temperature with sun. Give ventilation daily, 

 taking into account the state of the weather; while 

 they like plenty of heat, they will not do well in a 

 stagnant atmosphere; therefore, give air on all favor- 

 able occasions. Even,- morning in bright weather, give 

 them a good syringing, as this is a great aid in keeping 

 them in vigor and supplying the desired atmospheric 

 moisture, but this does not mean a very humid atmos- 

 phere. By pinching, the plants are made to produce 

 several growths. These plants can be shifted until 

 they are in 10- or 12-inch pots. The growth may be 

 trained on pillars or along rafters of the conservator}'. 



When planted out in about 8 or 10 inches of soil, passi- 

 floras will cover a very large space, but sometimes to 

 such an extent as to obscure the whole glass. The best 

 place is on a back wall in some house where they may 

 ramble at will. Keep well syringed until they show 

 flower, when syringing should be discontinued until 



2769. Old conception of the passion-flower. 

 From Folkard'a "Plant Lore," and there taken from Zahn. 



they are through blooming. After the plants have 

 covered the position allotted to them, all that is required 

 is the regulation of the young growth, so as to keep 

 them from becoming entangled. In winter they may be 

 cut back and the exhausted soil replaced by good rich 

 compost. Thev will not need a high temperature, doing 

 well in 55 to~60 at night. When they start off into 

 growth again, keep raising the temperature until it has 

 reached the figures already stated. They may now be 

 given manure water regularly and throughout the 

 growing season. Keep down thrip, red-spider, and 

 mealy-bug by syringing and sponging. 



The edible-fruited passifloras. (F. W. Popenoe.) 



The principal species of Passiflora that are cultivated 

 for their fruits in tropical and subtropical regions are 

 P. quadranguLaris, the granadilla, granadilla real of 

 Costa Rica, barbadine of the French colonies, pasion- 

 aria of Cuba, maracujd melao of Bretzil; P. edulis, also 

 called granadilla, as well as passion-fruit; and P. 

 laurifolia, the water-lemon of the British West Indies, 

 pomme-liane of the French colonies. While P. quad- 

 rangularis is a common garden plant in tropical 

 America, it is not so extensively grown in any region as 

 is P. eduLis in Australia. In the United States these 

 species can be grown only hi the warmest regions; in 

 California P. edulis is the only one that is success- 

 fully cultivated in the open, the other two species being 

 much more susceptible to frost; in south Florida all 

 three can be grown, although the tropical species are 

 sometimes injured by frost. 



