The passion flower is a woody vine, which produces blooms with yellow centers surrounded by deep purple petals. It was named after the suffering of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion, by Christian missionaries arriving in South America in the sixteenth century. It has five sepals and five petals, which were said to represent the Apostles without St. Peter and Judas Iscariot.
The flower's double row of colored filaments symbolized the halo around the head of Jesus, or the crown of thorns. Since the flower has five stamens and three styles that spread with flat heads, they symbolized the wounds and the nails of Christ, respectively. Finally, the tendrils of the vine represented the whips used to scourge Jesus in the house of Pontius Pilate.
Spanish Influence
The Spaniards took the flower back to Europe, where hybrids were quickly cultivated because of the difference in climate. A Spanish doctor working in Peru noticed how the natives used the flower to cure certain symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, and insomnia.
In Spain and the rest of Europe this news resulted in herbal teas that were said to calm and sooth fright and nervousness.
The flower's scientific classification is ‘Passiflora incarnata'. In a single season, the vines can easily grow up to fifteen feet. The vines being blooming in July and they continue until the first frost.
After the first frost, the vine essentially hibernates through the winter months, but then suddenly comes back to life in the spring. This quality has earned it the more common name of Maypop, since it ‘pops' out of the ground during the month of May.
Passion flowers are processed are made into tinctures, pills, extracts and teas, all of which should be consumed differently. The flower is crushed and either squeezed or dried in order to make a consumable product. Once the flower is processed, it can be shipped anywhere in the world.
Origin And History Of Usage
The ancient Peruvians and Aztecs used the passion flower for medicinal purposes. The passion flower reportedly was used as a sedative and pain reliever. When the Spaniards discovered the flower and brought it back to Europe, it developed a reputation as a calmer of nerves. The Europeans used it in homeopathic remedies for pain, nervous exhaustion and insomnia, especially insomnia related to neurasthenia or hysteria.
The passion flower has been rumored to cure other disorders, as well. In Europe, the passion flower has allegedly been used to treat bronchial diseases such as asthma, burns, inflammation of the skin, hemorrhoids, disorders due to changes in climate, and attention disorders and nervousness in children.
This herb works mostly for symptoms having to do with breathing or nerves, such as asthma and nervousness. The herb is said to calm the body significantly, enabling it to relax and recover from stressful circumstances. The calming effect is also said to help stimulate certain organs like the uterus in women. Mental overwork is a particular syndrome that the passion flower is said to be particularly effective in treating.
Known Variations
There are over five hundred species of passion flowers. All of them are grouped within the same genus, Passiflora. Each species has a unique characteristic, which is usually seen in the flower itself. All flowers share the same basic coloration, but in different species there are variations on that scheme.
For example, the Maypop passion flower, common to the southeastern United States where it is looked upon as a weed, has an entirely purple arrangement, broken only by the coloring of the stamen and styles. Other species have flowers that are entirely pink, or even white and yellow. Tropical passion flowers have much different colors and variations on their themes than passion flowers in the U.S.
A great way to tell passion flowers apart is by looking at their leaves. Note the shape of the leaf: is it oblong, lobed or serrated? Also pay attention to the color, size and texture. The size is usually measured in centimeters. Typical colors include deep green, light green or yellow-green. The texture of an individual leaf varies from a glossy, smooth surface to fuzzy or even rough leaves. Each of the species can be identified by comparing one's observations with a reference manual or guidebook.
Who Uses It And How It Works
Passion flowers are both used for medicinal purposes and grown as a source of food. The vine produces pungent, tart fruits that are harvested and used to make juices and punches. For example, Hawaiian punch is made from these fruits. A list of ailments that the passion flower is said to cure is:
nervous tension
general anxiety
insomnia
stress relating to emotional or physical turmoil
headaches
pain
inability to relax or calm down
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