''Passiflora'' × ''violacea'', the violet passion flower, is a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

between two

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, '' Passiflora racemosa'' × '' Passiflora caerulea'', in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Passifloraceae. The name ''Passiflora'' × ''violacea'' has yet to be resolved as a correct scientific name; nevertheless it is widely found in the horticultural literature. It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

climber growing to with five-lobed leaves, clinging spiral tendrils, large showy purple flowers with maroon and white filaments, and the prominent stigmas and

anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

typical of the genus. While somewhat hardier than one of its parents, ''P. racemosa'', it is considerably less hardy than the other, ''P. caerulea'' (which can be grown outside in warm or coastal areas). ''P.'' × ''violacea'' will tolerate temperatures down to , but in most temperate zones is grown under glass, for instance in an unheated conservatory or greenhouse. ''Passiflora'' × ''violacea'' may well be the very first ''Passiflora'' to have been hybridised, by the British nurseryman Thomas Milne, in 1819. It was subsequently described by Joseph Sabine of the Royal Horticultural Society, then in 1824 by the French botanist Jean-Louis-Auguste Loiseleur-Deslongchamps in the "Herbier General de l'Amateur", giving it its current name. This hybrid has in its turn given rise to several cultivars, notably 'Victoria'. It has won the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Passiflora violacea violacea Hybrid plants Plants described in 1824