Saturday, August 11, 2012

Passion Fruit Vine and the Story Behind It

Passion Fruit flower showing the styles, stamens and filaments. The
tendrils are just above and below the flower.

side view of a passion fruit vine flower showing the ten petals

a frittilary caterpillar on the lobed leaf of a purple passion fruit vine

Early missionaries to South America used the Passion Fruit Vine's flower to tell the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. There are ten petals on the flower. Each petal represents one of the disciples that was present. (Peter and Judas Iscariot were not counted because the first denied his Lord and the second was the traitor who turned Jesus over to His enemies.)

The spiky-looking filaments represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore.

The five stamens represent Christ's wounds (two hands, two feet and his side).

The three styles represent the three nails of the cross.

The vine tendrils represent the cords used to bind Christ.

The lobed leaves represent the hands of the tormentors. (Though I don't know what this says about the red variety, because the leaves on it are single.)

The above information was obtained through the following book:


I would add that the frittilary butterfly uses the Passion Fruit Vine for every stage of its life cycle, which to me indicates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.


14 comments:

  1. I lived in Brazil for a while and everyone had passionfruit vines. I love maracuja juice and got used to making it fresh! I wish they would fruit in the U.S.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's really neat. I talked to someone who said he could get some fruit from his in Pensacola, Florida. I don't know if I can get fruit here or not.

      That type of juice sounds so cool and tropical and yummy. Thank you for sharing your story. :)

      Delete
  2. Beautiful passion fruit flower! Thanks for sharing the story about the passion fruit being used to tell the story of the Passion of Christ. Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't seem a passion flower quite like that one before - the colour of the filaments is really pretty.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Liz. This color is the more commonly grown one around here. I also have a red one, but it hasn't bloomed yet. What color are yours?

      Delete
  4. Oh, so pretty Cristy. I have a picture of a gorgeous passion flower from a trip to the Houston Children Museum that caught my eye.

    Nice to meet you,

    s

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by, Sylvia. Thanks for saying the passion flowers are pretty. I think so, too. :)

      Nice to meet you, too.

      Delete
  5. I HAvemany plants in my backk yardthey are purple

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. This is my personal blog. Take your solicitation elsewhere.

      Delete
  8. Passion fruit grow and fruit beautifully in Santa Barbara. We grow the variety 'Fredric". Thanks for the story. III

    ReplyDelete