Stinking Passion-Flower Hero Or Villain?

Home , Passiflora, Passifloraceae, Passiflora foetida, Passiflora lutea

The Palmetto Quarterly Magazine of the Florida Native Plant Society · Vol. 13, No. 3 · Fall 1993

Stinking Passion-Flower Hero or Villain?

by Daniel F. Austin

In the middle 1970s I reported the most widely distributed native species, the stinking passion-flower (Passiflora foe- corky-stemmed passionflower, Passiflora tida) as having escaped from cultivation suberosa, is never abundant. Since the in Palm Beach County (Florida Scientist showy and common species in the northern 39:230-235. 1977). By the 1980s the spe- parts of the state, the maypops (Passiflora cies was considered "rare" in the county incarnata), barely reaches the southern by Wunderlin (1982. Guide to the region, our butterfly enthusiasts have Vascular Plants of Central Florida. Univ. begun feeling neglected. Instead of Presses of Florida / Univ. South Florida extending the range slightly south of the Press, Tampa), although it had spread wonderful native maypops, many of these dozens of miles in all directions from its people have elected to grow and spread the original source in West Palm Beach. Since new addition to our Florida flora, the that time the plant has been spreading stinking passionflower, Passiflora foetida. continuously. The vine has been spread Those of us who have watched the not only by animals such as birds, which spread and invasion of exotic plants into eat the red fruits and seeds, but also by native habitats and the exotic competition the vectors that introduced this tropical with native species view this action as

American plant into the state humans. ill-advised. Remember those who touted Passiflora foetida This recent spread by humans has been the melaleuca, casuarina, pepper tree, Ber- going on during perhaps only the 1990s. their association with the plants in the muda grass, carrotwood, and all the other The addition of the human vector is tied to passion-flower family, Passifloraceae. pest plants we now have in Florida? Do a newly popular hobby involving the Butterfly larvae in this insect group are so you wish to join their ranks by adding to growing and encouraging of butterflies by highly specialized that they feed only on the spread of pests running wild in Florida? providing food plants for these winged members of the passion-flower family. Right now the stinking passionflower is marvels. Among the most popular and Deprived of a passion-flower food source, just a Palm Beach County disturbed-site well-known butterflies in southern Florida heliconiid larvae will die. Cultivation of any pest. Those who know it only as food for are the tropical helicoiids: Nymphalidae member of the passion-flower family will butterflies see it as a hero. Others of us see subfamily Heliconiinae or family Heli- nearly guarantee the appearance of these it as a villain waiting in the wings to join coniidae, depending on the authority. butterflies. forces with all the other introduced pest Southern Florida has three of these, the Although southern Florida has more plants we have spread without thinking of zebra (Heliconius charitonius), the Gulf members in the Passifloraceae than any the consequences of our actions. fritillary (Dione vanillae formerly Ag-raulis other place in the southern United States If you want to help butterflies, grow any vanillae), and the julia (Dryas julia). The east of Texas - we have six species while of the native species of Passiflora. There popularity of these butterflies rests not Texas has eight - most of south Florida's are several from which to choose, ranging only with their colorful nature, but also species are not very showy. Moreover, our from the rare and inconspicuous to the common and showy. Native plants are Native Florida Passifloras better for Florida ecosystems than exotics. Passiflora incarnata (maypoop; apricot vine) – mostly north of Lake Okeechobee, but occasionally found to Broward County on the Exotic Florida Passifloras east coast and Collier County on the west coast. Our most showy member of the genus. (passion fruit) -southeastern Passilfora edulis Passiflora lutea (yellow passion-flower) – Peninsular counties. Passiflora foetida (stinking passion-flower) - Palm reported from Dade; mostly northern part of Beach County. the Peninsula near Gainesville and extending into the Panhandle in Jackson, Liberty, and Leon counties. Passiflora multiflora (passion-flower) – Dade and Monroe counties. Passiflora pallens (pale passion-flower) – Collier, Dade and Monroe counties. Passiflora sexflora (passion-flower) – Dade

County. Passiflora suberos (corcky-stemmed passion- flower) – nearly throughout the Peninsula from about Gainesville south.