Introduction
Origin, World Distribution & Importance The edible commercial species of Passion fruit originated on the edges of South American rain forests in the Amazon region of Brazil and possibly in Paraguay and North Argentina. The purple passion fruit (passiflora edulis), is adapted to the coolest subtropics or to high altitudes in the tropics, while the golden passion fruit (p.edulis f. flavicarpa) is more suited to tropical lowland conditions.
Passion fruit became naturalized in most of the tropical and subtropical world covering South Africa, Hawaii, California and Florida by the end of the nineteenth century. Kenya, Sri Lanka and Fiji were naturalized with the crop by about the middle of the 20th century. In Europe, in the 17th century it was grown as an ornamental plant under glass house conditions for it's attractive flowers.
Botany The family Passi floraceae includes 550 species in 12 genera and is represented by more fruiting species than any other plant family. The most important genus Passiflora has about 400 species which are mostly native to Tropical America and about 40 species in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific and one in Madagascar.
In most countries passion fruit production is based on caltivars of the golden passion fruit (p.edulis f. flavicarpa). The major exceptions are South Africa, Kenya and New New Zealand where production is dependent on lines of the purple passion fruit (P.edulis) and in Australia where hybrids between the two forms are exploited.
In Sri Lanka too, both purple and yellow passion fruits are grown commercially. 'Rahangala hybrid', which is a cross between P.edulis and p.edulis f. flavicarpa is recommended to be grown in the cooler regions. Yellow variety is recommended for the low country. However in the dry zone and in the intermediate zone yellow variety could be grown with supplementary irrigation. 'Hawaiian Black' which is an introduction from Australia, was evaluated under low country wet zone conditions and was later released by the Dept. of Agriculture as variety "Mani". Other introductions such as Victorian Black, E23 and Laecy evaluated under low temperature climates did not perform as well as the locally bred Rahangala Hybrid.
In Sri Lanka, 10 species Of Passiflora have been reported. These include P.quadrangularis, P.vanoloxemii, P.caerulea, P.edulis, P.flavicarpa, P.mollisima, P.ligularis, P.trifasciata. Two weed species of P.foetida & P.suberosa have been identified.
Nutrient Content of the Fruit Nutrient composition of the two major commercial species of passion fruit are presented in Table 1. passion fruit is fair to good source of pro-vitamin A, ascorbic acid, riboflavin and niacin with also a high mineral content
Passion fruit became naturalized in most of the tropical and subtropical world covering South Africa, Hawaii, California and Florida by the end of the nineteenth century. Kenya, Sri Lanka and Fiji were naturalized with the crop by about the middle of the 20th century. In Europe, in the 17th century it was grown as an ornamental plant under glass house conditions for it's attractive flowers.
Botany The family Passi floraceae includes 550 species in 12 genera and is represented by more fruiting species than any other plant family. The most important genus Passiflora has about 400 species which are mostly native to Tropical America and about 40 species in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific and one in Madagascar.
In most countries passion fruit production is based on caltivars of the golden passion fruit (p.edulis f. flavicarpa). The major exceptions are South Africa, Kenya and New New Zealand where production is dependent on lines of the purple passion fruit (P.edulis) and in Australia where hybrids between the two forms are exploited.
In Sri Lanka too, both purple and yellow passion fruits are grown commercially. 'Rahangala hybrid', which is a cross between P.edulis and p.edulis f. flavicarpa is recommended to be grown in the cooler regions. Yellow variety is recommended for the low country. However in the dry zone and in the intermediate zone yellow variety could be grown with supplementary irrigation. 'Hawaiian Black' which is an introduction from Australia, was evaluated under low country wet zone conditions and was later released by the Dept. of Agriculture as variety "Mani". Other introductions such as Victorian Black, E23 and Laecy evaluated under low temperature climates did not perform as well as the locally bred Rahangala Hybrid.
In Sri Lanka, 10 species Of Passiflora have been reported. These include P.quadrangularis, P.vanoloxemii, P.caerulea, P.edulis, P.flavicarpa, P.mollisima, P.ligularis, P.trifasciata. Two weed species of P.foetida & P.suberosa have been identified.
Nutrient Content of the Fruit Nutrient composition of the two major commercial species of passion fruit are presented in Table 1. passion fruit is fair to good source of pro-vitamin A, ascorbic acid, riboflavin and niacin with also a high mineral content
