Passiflora, in Czech named "mučenka"

According to different information sources there are currently between 450 and 660 known species inside the genus Passiflora. Their origin is mainly the tropic and subtropic areas in Middle and South America. Some originate in North America. About 25 species can be found in Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania. Additionally there exists a big number of hybrids and from year to year their number increases rapidly.

They are mostly climbing herbs and woody lianas with unique, interesting and complicated flowers in different colours. Flower of Passiflora normally consists of five sepals and five petals, which are in most cases similar to each others, five stamens and three stigmas. But the hallmark of the genus is the corona, an outgrowth at the base of the corolla. With many of them, mostly the insect pollinated species, the corona consists of impressive coloured filaments that extend outward like a cup. With others, for example Passiflora tulae the fusion of the coronal filaments has developed a tubular structure, to adapt to hummingbird pollination.

Passiflora leaves have very different shapes. I have read that the genus Passiflora has the highest number of different shapes of leaves of all plant families. This high variability of leaf shapes is one of the defense mechanisms against their main enemies, butterflies of the species heliconiine. They are long living herbivores specialiced just to passifloras. They search visually for the vines, resulting in intense selection pressure on the appearance of the plants.
Another mimikry defense against them is imitating the insect eggs by small yellow dots on leaves or other parts on the plant. The female heliconiine butterfly sees the yellow dots and interprets them as a competitor's eggs laid by another butterfly. She is likely to lay her eggs elsewhere.
Yet another quite special and interesting defense are nectar glands on leafs-stalks, leaf edges and other parts of the plants. They attract ants and wasps to patrol and protect the plants from herbivores.

Some species of Passiflora are traditionally used as officinal herbs. They are used as a mild sedativum in curing anxiety, nervousness, tensions and high blood pressure or for its antiseptic and antibacterial effect.

Passifloras fruits have an exotic smell and taste, different colours, shapes and size. Most of the commercially used Passifloras are from the subgenera Passiflora and Tacsonia. In Czech there is some knowledge of maracuja and yellow maracuja fruits. (P.edulis f. edulis and P.edulis f. flavicarpa). The biggest exporter of this fruits are plantations in Brazil. Other producers are located for example in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Indonesia. Other kinds of Passiflora fruits which can be found on markets in South America are for example the sweet granadilla and the banana passion fruit.