Passiflora junqueirae | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

DESCRIPTION:

This species arrived in Europe only recently, as it was officially described in 2014. It was dedicated to Nilton Tadeu Vilela Junqueira, current director of Embrapa, the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation).

Embrapa is a public research institution founded in 1973 and linked to the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil. Its headquarters are in Brasília, and it coordinates a wide network of specialised research centres throughout the country. Its purpose is to develop and disseminate scientific knowledge and technologies for agriculture, livestock, agroindustry and environmental protection. Its activities range from tropical crops to agroecology, from plant genetics to sustainable soil management.

In the botanical and naturalistic field, Embrapa has contributed significantly to the study and classification of many native species, including several Passiflora, thanks also to the work of Nilton Junqueira, to whom Passiflora junqueirae is dedicated. Junqueira also maintains a seed bank of Brazilian plants, which includes a large collection of passionflowers.

The species was first identified in the Parque Nacional do Caparaó, a large protected area on the border between the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, in the southeastern part of Brazil. This park hosts exceptional biodiversity and a mosaic of mountain habitats ranging from mid-altitude rainforests to mist-dominated highland vegetation. It is in this environment, between 1400 and 2100 metres of altitude, that Passiflora junqueirae grows naturally, climbing gracefully over shrubs and small trees at the forest edge. Cool conditions, filtered light and high air humidity appear essential for its development.

The flowers are striking, broad and complex, with a white corolla delicately tinged with lilac and a corona made up of several series of filaments. The colour is not uniform but arranged in irregular bands where deep purple alternates with lighter violet and short whitish segments, creating a vibrant pattern full of movement. When observed closely, however, it is the sepals that draw the eye. I had never seen a flower with such impressive sepals. The spur, almost always present and discreet in other species, is here exceptionally long and exceeds the length of the sepals themselves. The tip appears sharp, as if pointed, and the entire flower seems armed with five large spines ready to protect the plant from any herbivore that might attempt to eat it. In reality, this is merely an illusion: these “spines” are soft and completely harmless.

The plant is a slender but not overly vigorous climber, with thin cylindrical stems that twine elegantly around the surrounding vegetation. The leaves, trilobed and rather thin, have long narrow lobes with an acute apex and a slightly cordate base. The surface is matte, of a uniform medium green, hairless and with entire margins. In shape and proportion, they resemble those of Passiflora amethystina, but differ in the greater length of the lobes and the absence of glands in the leaf sinuses.

After flowering, the plant produces small ellipsoid fruits that ripen from green to pale yellow. Inside they contain numerous oval seeds embedded in a translucent aril with a slightly acidic taste. It is likely that in nature they are dispersed by small birds or mammals attracted to the ripe fruit.

In cultivation, Passiflora junqueirae requires a cool and constantly humid environment with good air circulation and diffused light. It is sensitive to summer heat and does not tolerate high temperatures for prolonged periods. It grows well in a temperate greenhouse or winter garden, provided that the temperature does not exceed 28 °C. The substrate should be light and well drained but able to retain moisture. It is a rare species, difficult to obtain and best suited to experienced collectors.

Passiflora junqueirae is one of the most interesting discoveries of recent years among the mountain granadillas, an elegant and singular plant that combines the grace of its intricate flowers with the understated strength of high-altitude vegetation.