Passiflora edulis

Passiflora edulis is a vine species of passion flower that is native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. Its common names include passion fruit (US), passionfruit (UK and Commonwealth), and purple granadilla (South Africa).

It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit and is widely grown in several countries of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Southern Asia, Vietnam, Israel, Australia, South Korea, Hawaii (Lilikoʻi) and the mainland United States.

The passion fruit is a pepo, a type of berry, 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 aroma.

Culture

The passion fruit is so called because it is one of the many species of passion flower, leading to the English translation of the Latin genus name, Passiflora. The name was given by Spanish missionaries to South America as an expository aid while trying to convert the indigenous inhabitants to Christianity.