Tropical Plant "Wild water lemon"
Passiflora foetida

Characteristics - The wild water lemon is not a cultivated fruit bearer however it is very frequent in nature in its natural habitat, in almost all Brazil's territory, in many different types of vegetation. It is a semi-perennial, herbaceous plant, quite variable, sticky, with a bad smell, a climber, entirely pubescent with a cilindrical caulis; stipules lanceolate-ciliate or pinnatisect and glandulose, about 1 cm long. Leaves 3 or 5-lobed, membranaceous, 2-15 cm long with the petiole 0.7-3.5cm covered in glandular hairs. Flowers solitary, 3-5 cm in diameter, opening in the morning, with a 2.0-7.5 cm peduncle and 2-4 glandulose-pinnati-sect bracts. Fruits with a juicy, sweet- tasting pulp, mature from February to May.

Uses - The fruits are consumed in their natural state but not widely appreciated because of their size.

Propagation - Propagated by seeds.