Passiflora Growers ..

What is this structure surrounding a bud? Does it have a specific purpose?

X

Beautiful photo X! I've been to five sites for passion flowers. Can't find the answer but would love to know. What kind and what in the world? :)

Thanks .. No one seems to know the answer .. it appears to be modified sepals of sorts .. at first I thought it might be EFN's, extra floral nectaries, most plants have them, but I haven't seen an ant near it which pretty much rules that out.

X

Hi Xeramtheum!

Is yours Passiflora Foetida? I have never grown it but from browsing the web some people wonder if it is carnivorous and say that they are used to trap bugs. Maybe is semi-carnivorous and traps it but doesn't actually use the nutrients from bugs. It may is used just defend the fruit from insects? Either way from browsing different sites no one has a straight answer if it is either but all seem to agree that it is used to trap insects.

I guess I am jumping the gun because I am not sure if yours is P. Foetida. haha

Maybe someone will come along who can clear that up. I am definitely not an expert and have not grown foetida before but it is definitely interesting and I would love to grow it someday.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1194/

Sincerely,
Vanessa

Vanessa I think you have got it right .. I grew 6 passifloria from seed this year and got them mixed up when I repotted .. one of them was passiflora foetida var. gossypifolia!

Thanks! Can't wait til it blooms .. there are no pictures of it in plant files .. just 1 picture of the fruit.

X

Cool! I am happy to help. hehe. Keep us posted with pictures. I would love to see the bloom. Very neat!

From researching online I found the name of those sticky webs: bracts! hehe.
http://www.passionflow.co.uk/feet31.htm

Congratulations on your success on growing passifloras from seed! 6 different kinds wow! I have tried a couple of times with no luck. :( So now I stick with cuttings and plants for now. haha. Well with some passifloras I still am trying to figure out on how to root. Some of them are very stubborn with me! haha. What is your secret with the seeds?

Sincerely,
Vanessa

its cool looking. i havent had luck with seeds either. so dont feel bad is there a special way to do them?

I just plant mine barely under the surface of a peat based potting mix. Freshness seems to determine how quickly they germinate.

X

It is a foetida and the bracts are a form of protection for the bud and fruit from insects.

I guess it's a good thing I have a head cold and can't smell anything.

X

This is a different Passi, don't know the species, but the structure at the base of the leaf is probably an EFN considering the ant's are very interested in it.

X

Well, I have this one
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55286/
and the flowers smell really quite nice, I have also grown var. arizonica and those were wonderfully fragrant.

All the passi's I trade for were colors not blue or purple .. Can't wait til they open!

X