Botany
Stout, smooth, herbaceoous vine, reaching a length of 10-15 meters. Stems are four-angled. Leaves are entire, ovate to elliptic, 10-15 cm long, with pointed tips and broadly rounded base. Fruit is fleshy, edible, ellipsoid, 15-20 cm long. Flower is large, solitary and fragrant; petals are reddish.

Note.: The photo is that of P. edulis, a vine with rounded stems and 3-deeply lobed leaves with 2-4 glands in the stalk. The flowers are white with a crown of light purple pink. The oval fruits have more acids and provides for a tasty drink.

Properties
Passion fruit is antispasmodic, sedative, narcotic.
Leaves produce hydrocyanic acid, 0.009 - 0.20 %, therefore poisonous.
Fruit and unripe seeds also contain hydrocyanic acid.
Medicinally, antiscorbutic, stomachic.
Root thought to be narcotic.

Distribution
Cultivated in the Philippines for its fruit and ornamental vine.

Parts used
Roots, bark, flowers, fruit.

Uses:
Nutritional
Fruit contains vitamin C, citric and malic acids. Eaten green as boiled vegetable; ripe, iced and sugared.
Folkloric
Skin of the fruit , bark of root, used for interstinal tapeworms and parasites.
Decoction of root bark used for malaria, splenice enlargement, tuberculous afflictions.
Infusion of powdered flower buds prescribed for bronchitis, as a wound wash, and to expel worms.
Fruits, powdered with the seeds, as an infusion for dyspesia, stomach pains, dysentery, colitis, and antihelmintic.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated for its fruit and ornamental vine.