Passiflora rubra Lam., Passifloraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: red passionfruit

Maori (Cook Islands): pō kutekute, pō‘ue, pōkutekute

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Stem densely grayish pubescent; stipules setaceous; petioles glandless; blades membranous, finely pubescent or rarely softly hirsute, 2-8 cm. along the midnerve, 4-11 cm. along the lateral nerves, 3-10 cm. wide, bilobed, the lobes widely divergent, or shallowly and subequally 3-lobed; peduncles solitary; bracts none; flowers up to 5 cm. wide; sepals linear-lanceolate, reddish or greenish without, white within; petals half as long as the sepals, white; corona prevailingly 1-ranked, the filaments narrowly liguliform or nearly filiform, purplish at the base, green or white above; operculum slightly plicate; ovary subglobose, densely hirsute with white or brownish hairs; fruit ovoid or obovoid, 2-2.5 cm. long, 1.5-1.8 cm. wide, rarely larger, tapering at the base, 10-angled; seeds black, transversely sulcate, the ridges smooth"  (Macbride, 1941; 13(4/1)122-123).

"Slender pubescent climber; stem, tendrils and petioles often tinged crimson; leaves 2-10 cm along the midrib, 4-10 cm across the tips of the lateral lobes; peduncle 1-6 cm long, longer in fruit, joined 1-2 mm below the calyx; calyx usually speckled pink within; corona pink to reddish-purple, darker at base; berry red, soft, hairy, 6-lined, ellipsoidal, about 2.5 cm long" (Adams, 1972; p. 495).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14) Subject of a control program.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 40771) Taxon name on voucher: Passiflora rubra L.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	Macbride, J. Francis (1936) (pp. 122-123)

Comments:  Present on cliffs, along roadsides and in disturbed areas throughout the southern Cook Islands (Space & Flynn, 2002).

On list of plants to be excluded from French Polynesia.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Passiflora rubra, please let us know.