Banana passionfruit (Passiflora supersect. Tacsonia), also known as taxo and curuba, is a group of around 64 Passiflora species found in South America.[1] [2] Most species in this section are found in high-elevation cloud forest habitats. Flowers have a cylindrical hypanthium.
| Section | Series | Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivianae | Passiflora gracilens | Bolivia (Cochabamba and La Paz), Peru (Apurimac, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Junín, and La Libertad) | ||
| Rathea | Passiflora andina | |||
| Passiflora colombiana | ||||
| Passiflora harlingii | ||||
| Passiflora unipetala | ||||
| Insignes | Passiflora carrascoensis | |||
| Passiflora insignis | ||||
| Passiflora lanceolata | ||||
| Passiflora mandonii | ||||
| Passiflora pilosicorona | ||||
| Passiflora pinnatistipula | ||||
| Tasconiopsis | Passiflora bracteosa | |||
| Passiflora purdiei | ||||
| Trifoliata | Passiflora trifoliata | |||
| Passiflora huamachucoensis | ||||
| Fimbriatistipula | Passiflora fimbriatistipula | Colombia (Huila and Cauca) | ||
| Passiflora uribei | Colombia (Putumayo) | |||
| Manicata | Passiflora manicata | |||
| Passiflora macropoda | ||||
| Passiflora trisecta | ||||
| Passiflora peduncularis | ||||
| Passiflora weberbaueri | ||||
| Parritana | Passiflora parritae | Colombia (Caldas, Tolima, and Risaralda) | ||
| Passiflora jardinensis | Colombia (Jardín in Antioquia) | |||
| Tacsonia | Passiflora amazonica | |||
| Passiflora mixta | ||||
| Passiflora matthewsii | ||||
| Passiflora schlimiana | ||||
| Passiflora salpoense | ||||
| Colombiana | Quindiensae | Passiflora linearistipula | ||
| Passiflora quindiensis | ||||
| Leptomischae | Passiflora ampullacea | |||
| Passiflora antioquiensis | ||||
| Passiflora coactilis | ||||
| Passiflora cremastantha | ||||
| Passiflora flexipes | ||||
| Passiflora leptomischa | ||||
| Passiflora tenerifensis | ||||
| Colombianae | Passiflora adulterina | |||
| Passiflora crispolanata | ||||
| Passiflora cuatrecasasii | ||||
| Passiflora formosa | ||||
| Passiflora lanata | ||||
| Passiflora pamplonensis | ||||
| Passiflora rugosa | ||||
| Passiflora trianae | ||||
| Passiflora truxillensis | ||||
| Elkhea | Passiflora anastomosans | |||
| Passiflora brachyantha | ||||
| Passiflora cumbalensis | ||||
| Passiflora linearistipula | ||||
| Passiflora jamesonii | ||||
| Passiflora linda | ||||
| Passiflora loxensis | ||||
| Passiflora luzmarina | ||||
| Passiflora roseorum | ||||
| Passiflora sanctae-barbarae | ||||
| Passiflora tarminiana | ||||
| Passiflora tripartita | ||||
| Passiflora zamorana | Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe) | |||
P. tarminiana and P. tripartita thrive in the climate of New Zealand. They are invasive species since they can smother forest margins and forest regrowth. It is illegal to sell, cultivate, or distribute the plants.[3]
Banana passionfruit vines are now smothering more than 200sqmi of native forest on the islands of Hawaii and Kauai. Seeds are spread by feral pigs, birds and humans.[4] [5] The vine can also be found all across the highlands of New Guinea and in Tasmania.