Passiflora tuberosa | The Italian Collection of Maurizio Vecchia

DESCRIPTION:

This rare and unknown Passiflora is especially widespread in Trinidad and Tobago, but is also reported in the coastal areas of northern Brazil, in Guyana and in Venezuela.

It is mainly noted for its large bilobate and white-streaked leaves. From an aesthetic point of view, therefore, they are pleasing and original. They are also rounded at the base and have oblong-lanceolate lobes with an obtuse apex. The sinus these form is broad and shallow. They measure 6 cm in length and 12 cm in width. They have cream-white marbling at the base of the lobes and in correspondence with the lateral ribs.

The plant is robust and attains a considerable size, reaching over 10 m in length. In the greenhouse, therefore, it manages to cover large spaces and create thick curtains of variegated foliage.

The flowers, only about 5 cm in diameter, have white petals and sepals. The corona is made up of two series of filaments characterised by alternating white and purple bands. The flower is an exception in the subgenus Decaloba from a morphological point of view, as it is devoid of a limen. This structure is situated at the base of the androgynophore and, together with the operculum, closes the lower cavity of the calyx.

The roots are characterised by the presence of large tubers: this detail together with the absence of a limen makes P. tuberosa unique also from a botanical point of view.

Cultivation is easy only in greenhouses since this plant requires a lot of space and climatic conditions that suit its poor hardiness; in winter, in fact, it is necessary to ensure a temperature of at least 15°C.

Propagation can be done both from seed and from cuttings.