Passiflora lindeniana | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

DESCRIPTION:

The rare P. lindeniana is not a climber, but a small tree, like many of the passionflowers belonging to the subgenus Astrophea, supersection Astrophea, section Astrophea.

It has many affinities with P. macrophylla, from which however it differs most particularly in the size of its leaves which reach only 25 cm in length and 15 cm in width. It lives in the mountains of Venezuela up to altitudes of about 2500 m, where it is at risk of extinction. For this reason, all possible efforts are underway to save the species, which could probably also be acclimatised in Italy in the milder areas of Liguria and the South. John Vanderplank believes it can survive outdoors in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

However, it is not an easy plant to grow: it almost certainly requires a particular type of soil, with an alkaline pH, rich in sand and well-drained, even in an environment with a very humid and warm atmosphere. Its roots are also sensitive to attack from fungi. This explains why those who have tried to cultivate P. lindeniana, despite obtaining rapid germination of the seeds, have often encountered failures due to the sudden death of the small plants.

This tree reaches 8 m in height, has ovate-lanceolate, sub-acute leaves of a glaucous green colour.

The flowers are white with a yellow corona and have a diameter of about 6 cm. The sepals reflect a very light green shade, while the petals are completely white. The shape of the filaments is interesting, since those in the outer ring of the corona, of intense yellow colour, have a flattened, crescent-shaped apex.

The fruits are ovoid with an enlarged base and a diameter of about 5 cm.

Reproduction is by seed.