Passionfruit family : PASSIFLORACEAE (DILLENIIDAE) in Australia
including Modeccaceae, Paropsiaceae and Turneraceae

Flower
Families
Flowers in Australia
  
  
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
&
Christine Ashe
  
Plants in Australia Plant
Classes

Passiflora alata
Fragrant Granadilla
Wyee, April 2008

Passiflora 'Amethyst'
Lavender Lady
Wyee, October 2005

Passiflora aurantia
Blunt-leafed Passionflower
Magnetic Island
Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson

Passiflora coccinea
Scarlet Passion Flower
Bundaberg, October 2006

Passiflora edulis
Passionfruit
Wyee, January 2007

Passiflora foetida
Stinking Passion Flower
Magnetic Island, December 2008
Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson

Passiflora herbertiana
Herbert's Passionfruit
Wyee, August 2008

Passiflora "Coral Glow"
Coral Passion Flower
Wyee, January 2007

Passiflora suberosa
Corky Passionfruit
Magnetic Island, June 2009
Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson

Turnera ulmifolia
Yellow Alder
Magnetic Island
Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson

Plants in this family are the foodplants of the caterpillars of several species of Australian butterflies and moths. The evolution of the small nodules found on many PASSIFLORACEAE species are possibly the reaction of the plant to butterfly and moth eggs being laid on the stalks. These nodules look like Lepidoptera eggs. For moth and butterfly species that lay single eggs, the female may bypass a plant with these nodules, and lay her eggs on another that has no obvious eggs on it already. Australian Lepidoptera species with caterpillars known to feed on PASSIFLORACEAE include:


Acraea andromacha

Vindula arsinoe

Cethosia cydippe

Cethosia penthesilea

Teia anartoides

Sphenarches anisodactylus

Opogona glycyphaga

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Australian
Australian Butterflies
butterflies
Australian
Australian caterpillars
Lepidoptera
Australian
Australian Moths
moths

(updated 23 May 2013, 2 June 2020)