From the book
Fruits of Warm Climates
by Julia F. Morton
Water Lemon
Passiflora laurifolia L.
PASSIFLORACEAE
One of the best of the lesser-known passionfruit relatives, the water lemon, Passiflora laurifolia
L., is also known as bell-apple, sweet cup, yellow granadilla, Jamaica
honeysuckle, vinegar pear, golden apple, where English is spoken; as
pomme d'or, pomme liane, or pomme de liane, Marie-Tambour, or
maritambou, in the French West Indies; as parcha, parcha de culebra, or
pasionaria con hojas de laurel in Spanish. In the Portuguese language,
in Brazil, it is called maracuja comum or maracuja laranja. It is
paramarkoesa in Surinam. In Malaya, it is markusa leutih, buah susu,
buah belebar, or buah selaseh; in Thailand, sa-wa-rot; in Vietnam, guoi
tay.
Description
The water lemon
vine is a moderately vigorous climber, to 32 ft (10 m) or more, its
twining, more or less woody or wiry stems longitudinally grooved and
bearing slender, tough tendrils in the leaf axils flanked by 2 slim,
green stipules. The alternate leaves are oblong-ovate or elliptical,
rounded at the base, abruptly pointed at the apex; 6 to 8 in (15-20 cm)
long, 1 1/3 to 3 1/8 in (3.4-8 cm) wide; thick and leathery. The
fragrant, solitary, 5-petalled flowers, 3 to 4 in (7.4-10 cm) across,
have a bell-shaped calyx, oblong, red or purple-red sepals and petals,
and corona filaments 6-ranked, banded with red, blue, purple and white.
The fruit is ellipsoidal or ovoid, 2 to 3 1/8 in (5-8 cm) long, 1 1/2
to 2 3/8 in (4-6 cm) wide; orange-yellow; clasped at the base by 3
large, green, leaflike bracts, toothed and edged with conspicuous
glands. The rind is leathery, to 1/8 in (3 mm) thick, white and spongy
within; becomes hard when dry. Pleasantly rose-scented, the
translucent, nearly white pulp is juicy, mucilaginous and of agreeable,
subacid flavor, and encloses numerous seeds, flat and minutely ribbed.
Origin and
Distribution
The
water lemon is native to tropical America and common, wild and
cultivated from southern Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana and French Guiana
down through the Amazon region of Brazil to Peru. In the dry season,
the fruits are regularly sold in local markets. The vine is cultivated
and naturalized from Trinidad and Barbados to Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Hispaniola and Cuba. In Bermuda, it is only occasionally grown. It was
introduced into Malaya in the 18th Century; is commonly cultivated in
the lowlands and naturalized in Singapore and Penang. According to
Petelot, the water lemon is grown in Thailand and throughout the
southern half of Vietnam. In India, Ceylon and Hawaii, the vine is
grown as an ornamental but rarely fruits except in hot, dry situations
where the pollen is dry enough to be naturally transmitted. There are
only a few specimens in Florida.
Pollination
The water lemon
flowers open only in the afternoon, and apparently are not
self-pollinated, or only slightly so. Cross-pollination is required for
good crops. If carpenter bees are not present at the right time, the
pollen must be transferred by hand.
Climate
A warm, dry
atmosphere is essential for early ripening of the stigmas. On Oahu,
Hawaii, best yields have been obtained at sea-level, though the vine
grows vigorously up to 1,500 ft (457 m).
Soil
The vine has grown and flowered well on sand and on limestone in Florida.
Propagation
The water lemon grows readily from seeds or cuttings.
Pests
Trials have shown that the vine is fairly resistant to rootknot nematodes in Florida.
Food Uses
Children and
adults make a hole in one end of the fruit and suck out the pulp and
seeds for refreshment. The juice of the strained pulp makes an
excellent beverage.
Toxicity
The rind, leaves
and seeds contain a cyanogenic glycoside. On the other hand, the leaves
possess 387 mg, per 100 g, ascorbic acid. The leaf decoction is taken
as a vermifuge. The seeds have a sedative action on the nervous system
and heart and, in strong doses, are hypnotic. The root acts as a very
potent vermifuge.
Food Value
The pulp contains
1.55 mg of pantothenic acid per 100 g; the rind, 1.87 mg. This element
belongs to the vitamin B complex group and is sometimes called vitamin
B5.
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