''Passiflora maliformis'', the sweet calabash, conch apple, wild purple passionfruit, or sweet cup, is a smallish ()

passionfruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy f ...

with

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

skin and a greyed-yellow to orange pulp that is aromatically scented and flavoured. It is a fast-growing vine, growing best in somewhat cooler-than-tropical climates. The rind is particularly hard and tougher than most passionfruits. It is usually eaten fresh or used to flavour drinks. It is a native to the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and Northern South America.

Description

''Passiflora maliformis'' is a fast-growing evergreen shrub or vine. The slender, woody stems can reach lengths of and are equipped with tendrils by means of which the plant climbs other plants or structures for support. The green or orange-green fruit is up to in diameter. The skin of this fruit can be hard so a hammer is sometimes needed to open it for consumption.

Cultivation

It is usually grown from seeds but may also be propagated by stem-cuttings and layering. Grafting onto other ''

Passiflora ''Passiflora'', known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly tendril-bearing vines, with some being shrubs or trees. They ...

'' rootstock can improve hardiness. ''Passiflora maliformis'' grows in the warm, wet tropics the plants require a temperature no lower than around when they are flowering in order to ensure fruit set.

species tend to flower and fruit more freely when grown in soils of only moderate fertility. Seedlings can commence fruiting when only 1–2 years old. Plants in this

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

are notably resistant to

honey fungus ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the '' A. mellea'' species known as honey fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armillarias'' are long-l ...

Nutrition

''Passiflora maliformis'' arils contain 85.44% water, 7.17% net carbohydrates, 3.63% fibre, 2.2% protein, and 0.45% fat (see table). A amount provides and is an excellent source of magnesium and phosphorus as well as a significant source of other minerals (see table). The fruit also contains various organic acids and phenolic compounds which are responsible for the aroma and flavour. It is commonly eaten raw or made into a drink, it is said to have a flavor similar to

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

References

maliformis Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Passifloraceae-stub