Passiflora Manicata: Red Passion Flower

Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous.

The family Passifloraceae has a pantropical distribution. Passiflora itself is absent from Africa, where many other members of the family Passifloraceae occur. Most species are found in South America, eastern Asia, southern Asia eastward to New Guinea.

Photos: Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20150515]

Source: Wikipedia

Cobaea scandens: Cup-and-saucer vine

Cobaea scandens [cup-and-saucer vine, cathedral bells, Mexican ivy, monastery bells] is a species of flowering perennial plant of the Polemoniaceae family, native to the tropical Americas.

It is widely cultivated for its twining habit and its highly ornamental, bell-shaped flowers, 5 cm [2 in] long, which change from white to purple.

A white form Cobea scandens alba.

Photos: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20140503]

Source: Wikipedia

Asparagus setaceus: Asparagus Fern

Asparagus setaceus, commonly known as Common Asparagus Fern, Lace Fern, Climbing Asparagus, or Ferny Asparagus, is a vine plant in the genus Asparagus. Despite its common name, the plant is not a true fern, but has leaves that resemble one.

It is native to Southern Africa, and is grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant. It has become an invasive species in several locations where it has been introduced. Its specific name is derived from the Latin saeta “hair” or “bristle”, hence “hairy”. Some authorities use the name Asparagus plumosus [plumosus Latin “plumed”, referring to the foliage].

Asparagus setaceus is a scrambling perennial herb with tough green stems, which may reach several metres in length. The leaves are actually leaf-like cladodes up to 7 mm long by 0.1 mm in diameter, which arise in clumps of up to 15 from the stem, making a fine, soft green fern-like foliage.

Asparagus setaceus is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for planting in garden and containers, and as a house plant. The attractive foliage is also used in floral arrangements.

Photos: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20140425]

Source: Wikipedia

Passiflora caerulea: Blue Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea [blue passion flower, common passion flower] is a species of flowering plant native to South America [Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil].

It is a vigorous, deciduous or semi-evergreen tendril vine growing to 10 m [33 ft] or more, with palmate leaves and fragrant, blue-white flowers with a prominent fringe of coronal filaments in bands of blue, white, and brown. The ovoid orange fruit, growing to 6 cm [2 in], is edible but bland.

Photos: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20140425]

Source: Wikipedia

Passiflora vitifolia: Crimson Passion flower

Passiflora vitifolia is a species of Passiflora, native to southern Central America [Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama] and northwestern South America [Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru]. It is a vine with cylindric stems covered in red-brown hairs when young. The leaves are serrate, three-lobed, up to 15 cm long and 18 cm broad. The lobed leaves’ resemblance to grape leaves gives this passionflower its specific epithet, “vitifolia,” meaning “grape leaves” after the Latin for grape “vitis.”

The flowers are bright red, up to 9 cm diameter. The fruit is quite sour still when it falls off the plant and can take a month to ripen to its full flavor of sour strawberries.

More photos of Passiflora vitifolia [Crimson Passion flower] taken at the Jakarta Zoo, Ragunan, Jakarta Selatan [20140618]

Photos: Gardens by the Bay , Singapore 20130414,  Jakarta Zoo, Ragunan, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia [20140618]

Source: Wikipedia

Passiflora edulis: Passion fruit, Markisa *

Passiflora edulis is a vine species of passion flower that is native to Brazil, Paraguay,Uruguay and northern Argentina. Its common names include passion fruit.

It is cultivated commercially in warmer, frost-free areas for its fruit and is widely grown in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Portugal [Madeira], Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, South Africa, United States [California and Florida], Venezuela and Philippines.

The passion fruit is round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is both eaten and juiced; passion fruit juice is often added to other fruit juices to enhance the aroma.

^ Flower of Passiflora edulis.

In Indonesia there are two types of passion fruit [local name is markisa), white flesh and yellow flesh. The white one is normally eaten straight as a fruit, while the yellow variety is commonly strained for its juice, which is processed to make concentrated syrup and sold in many supermarkets.

* Indonesian

Photo: Courtesy of James Gunawan, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia, 20130509

Source: Wikipedia

Allamanda blanchetii: Purple Allamanda

Allamanda blanchetii [Purple Allamanda, Violet Allamanda; syn. Allamanda violacea] is an ornamental plant of Allamanda genus in the Apocynaceae family. This is a tropical and tender creeper vine. All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.

Bloom Colors: Pink, Rose/Mauve, Magenta [Pink-Purple], Fuchsia [Red-Purple], Scarlet [Dark Red], Violet/Lavender, Purple, Dark Purple/Black, Maroon.

Photos: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, 20130124

Source: Wikipedia

Phryganocydia corymbosa: Trinidad Pink Trumpet Vine

Phryganocydia corymbosa, an abundant canopy vine in all parts of the forest in South America.

Photo: HortPark, Singapore 20120630

Source: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute