Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, small trees, or climbers, sometimes with large, tuber-like stems, often furnished with axillary tendrils; sometimes dioecious, rarely monoecious
Leaves alternate, petiolate, simple or compound, entire or dentate, often with extrafloral nectaries at base of petiole; stipules small, sometimes caducous or 0
Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, solitary or in few-flowered cymose to pseudoracemose, axillary inflorescences; single-flowered peduncles jointed and often with 3 bracts
Sepals (3)4 or 5(6), free or partially connate, imbricate, often persistent; hypanthium saucer-shaped or tubiform
Petals (1-)3-5(6), free, rarely 0, arising in calyx tube or in sinuses
Corona simple, or in 1 or more rows of radiating threads or scales, or cup-shaped, or 0
Disc mostly extra-staminal, annular or composed of 5 strap-shaped glands, or 0
Stamens (4)5 or 6(-8), hypogynous or perigynous; filaments free, or united at base, or united into bundles, arising on hypanthium or on an androgynophore; anthers 2-thecous, basifixed to dorsifixed, opening lengthwise
Ovary superior, sometimes stalked, 1-locular, 3-5(6)-carpellate, with several to many anatropous, bitegmic ovules on 3-5(6) parietal placentas; styles as many as placentas, connate below or almost 0; stigmas often fleshy and capitate, sometimes much divided (Adenia)
Fruit a loculicidally 3-5-valved capsule or a berry
Seeds usually compressed, enveloped in a fleshy or membranous aril; funicles often distinct; testa pitted or smooth; endosperm horny, embryo large, straight, with foliaceous cotyledons
Classification Notes:
Close to Flacourtiaceae and linked to it by Adenia
Nomenclature:
Passifloraceae
Harvey: 498 (1862)
Schreiber: 1 (1968)
De Wilde: 104 (1976)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Genera 18, species 500, fairly cosmopolitan in warm climates
Southern Africa: Genera 5, species ± 20
References:
DE WILDE, W.J.J.O. 1976. Passifloraceae. Flora of southern Africa 22
Copyright of the content hosted by this website remains with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), unless stated otherwise. Material from this site may be used in other media, provided that SANBI is acknowledged by the name South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) or refer to the 'How to cite this resource' paragraph on the Home page. Liability disclaimer: Visitors use this site at their own risk and SANBI is not liable for any of the consequences resulting therefrom.
Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
The system is still under development, so you may find a few bugs/issues. If you do, please report it via the error reporting button available in various sections of the website or provide us with any useful feedback you may have via the ‘Give us feedback’ option available in the sidebar menu. You can create a free account for yourself by clicking on the user profile icon which will take you through to the login page. Here you can choose the ‘Create an account’ option or simply fill in your details if you have an account already. Having an account on Biodiversity Advisor will provide users with free access to biodiversity resources.
In future, Team SANBI will be able to log in using their day-to-day login details, BGIS users will be able to use their existing accounts and details, and general users will be able to log in using their LinkedIn profile, but for now you will need to create an account.
