Passiflora.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: passion flower
From: granholm.crl.com (| Scott Granholm )
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 21:32:16 GMT

atahualpa.eworld.com wrote:
>jsananda.aol.com (Jsananda) wrote:
>> In Brazil people drink the fruit called maracuja. People drink it as a "calmante" or to have a calming effect, or to calm down their hyper children. It is really a delicious fruit and is known here as passion fruit. Although I have never had a passion fruit (imported) that was as delicious as in Brazil.
>In Peru this fruit is called maracuya...I guess your spelling is Portuguese? Anyway, I brought some seeds back and planted them in a pot and now a year later I have a giant monster bigger than I am! An amazing plant to watch grow, even though it has yet to bloom. I have never found this fruit in the US, however. It's yellowish and somewhat tart.

Hi folks, I just have to jump in and say Hello, since Passiflora is my most very favorite plant. Passiflora incarnata to be specific. It is but one of the over 400 species that make up the Passiflora genus. Passiflora incarnata is the herb used as a seditive and tranquilizer, and grows wild and native in the U.S. It is most common in the S.E. US and grows like a weed here in Georgia. All other species grow outside the US in tropical regions. Passiflora edulis produces the purple fruit commanly found in stores and called Passion fruit. Passiflora incarnata produces a dark green pod known in the South as May Pops, and the fruit is preceded by a beautiful purple flower. Another common Passiflora is P. caerulea, commonly called Blue Passion flower. It produces a yellow fruit pod, and the pulp can be quite tasty.

Passiflora incarnata makes an excellent seditive and traqualizer, without many bad side effects or being habit forming. It is good fresh off the vine or dried. Either way makes a nice tea.

The effect induces a "nice" fealing, an doesn't leave one fealing drugged or slowed as in herbs like Valerian.

If you use fresh herb (leafs & stems) to make tea then put 2 to 3 tbs in 12 to 16 oz of boiling water and let stand for a few minutes. I looks like the soft drink Mellow Yellow when it's done.

If you have dried herb then use about 1 tbl to make a cup of tea. You will have to practice to see what is right for you.

There is alot more information about P. incarnata. I intend to write up a data file on this herb and include it on my home page. When I get it togeather I'll post it here in the herb news group.

If anyone would like a few seeds e-mail me. I picked some MayPops today. It will take a month or two for them to dry out, then I can mail some out with instructions on how to germinate them. They will grow great in warm climates like the S.E. US, if you live up north then you will have to grow it in a pot and take it indoors in the winter. You can also order live plants from Lodgee's greenhouse. They carry about 10 species of Passiflora.