This interesting looking flower comes from the perennial climbing vine that also has a sturdy woody stem.  They are commonly refer to as Passionflower or Passionvines.  It’s name originated from the Spanish Christian missionaries as the flower resembles the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during the crucifixion.

But in other parts of the world such Japan and Israel, it is refer to as the “Clock Plant.”  I can see the resemblance to the clock here too.

A good description of the origin of the name “Passionflower” by Kew Botanical Gardens:

They called it the passion flower because they thought that it symbolised the death of Christ. The five sepals and five petals of the flower, which are similar in appearance, represent the disciples without Peter and Judas. The double row of coloured filaments, known as the corona, signifies to some the halo around Christ’s head and to others the crown of thorns. The five stamens and the three spreading styles with their flattened heads symbolise the wounds and the nails respectively. The tendrils resemble the whips used to scourge Christ and the lobed leaves look similar to the clutching hands of the soldiers.

There are about 500 species of this flower, but only 55 species of Passiflora are grown for their edible fruit.  There are also many that are not edible, so you have to be careful not to eat the wrong one.

I once bought some passion fruit at the Santa Barbara farmer’s market.  I don’t see them anywhere in Northern California, as they grow in warmer areas.

I was intrigued by the purple egg shape and wrinkly appearance of the fruit.  It’s inside looked like jelly with many seeds.  But I was not impressed with the taste at all.  It reminded me too much of tomatoes!

For this body butter, the version of the Passionfruit (melon) is non-edible and grows wild among the women’s millet crop in Namibia. The women harvest them and then crush the melons using a wooden pestle, and the small black seeds are extracted by hand.   The seeds contain oils that are very moisturizing.  Photo from Body Shop.

Not only is the flower pretty, there are also some herbal usage of this flower as well.  In South America and also later in Europe, the dried flower is used as a “calming” herb for anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria.

The following information is from the University of Maryland Medical Center.   Dried aerial parts of passion flower ( Passiflora incarnata ) have been used as a sedative and hypnotic (for insomnia) and for “nervous” gastrointestinal complaints.

Parts Used:

The above-ground parts (flowers, leaves, and stems) of the passionflower are used for medicinal purposes.
Available Forms:

Available forms include the following:

* Infusions
* Teas
* Liquid extracts
* Tinctures

Adult

The following are recommended adult doses for passionflower:

* Tea: Steep 0.5 - 2 g (about 1tsp.) of dried herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain and cool. For anxiety, drink 3 to 4 cups per day. For insomnia, drink one cup an hour before going to bed.
* Fluid extract (1:1 in 25% alcohol): 10 - 30 drops, three times a day
* Tincture (1:5 in 45% alcohol): 10 - 60 drops, three times a day

References:

University of Maryland Medical Center