About Passiflora pallida L.
Passiflora suberosa is a passionflower species native to the Americas. It is most commonly called corkystem passionflower, a name that refers to the corky texture of its older stems. Additional common names for this species include corky passion vine, cork-bark passion flower, corky passionfruit, and Meloncillo, the name used for it in Latin America. Some sources suggest this taxon may be a cryptic species complex, meaning multiple distinct species are currently grouped under this single name. Its native range extends from Florida and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the southern United States, south through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean into South America. This species was intentionally introduced to Polynesia and Australia in 1909. It grows very prolifically, producing up to 1000 seeds per square meter, and will smother any vegetation it grows on, including mature trees. In New Caledonia, it is illegal to introduce this species into the wild. Many clones of Passiflora suberosa are self-pollinating. The plant is winter hardy down to approximately 7 °C, and can be propagated both by seed sowing and by cuttings. This species acts as a host plant for the caterpillars of several butterfly species: the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), Julia heliconian (Dryas iulia), Mexican silverspot (Dione moneta), red postman (Heliconius erato), and zebra heliconian (Heliconius charithonia). In Australia, it also serves as a larval host plant for the glasswing butterfly (Acraea andromacha).
