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Which Passiflora species are grown for edible passion fruit?
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Malpighiales
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica).
Within the Passifloraceae family, which belongs to the order Malpighiales, several species of the genus Passiflora are cultivated for their edible fruits.12
The most notable species grown for their fruit include:
- Purple granadilla (P. edulis): Often referred to as the purple passion fruit or maracuyá, this is considered the most important commercially cultivated species in the subtropics.132
- Giant granadilla (P. quadrangularis): Known for its large, gourd-like fruit that can weigh up to 3.5 kg.13
- Yellow granadilla (P. laurifolia): Also known as the water lemon.13
- Sweet calabash (P. maliformis): Native to the West Indies.13
- Wild passion flower (P. incarnata): Also called the maypop, it produces a yellow, edible berry.3
- Banana passion fruit (P. mollissima): A Neotropical species noted for its fruit production.2
- Yellow passion flower (P. lutea): A smaller plant that produces purple fruits.3
While many of these are prized as dessert fruits, the immature fruit of the giant granadilla is sometimes consumed as a vegetable.32