NATIVE NEW ZEALAND PASSION FRUIT

Passiflora tetrandra
Passion flower family (Passifloraceae)
I have spent this morning working on my Plants of Riccarton Bush Catalogue Project. .This has been a difficult plant to photograph its habbitat is very untidy and hard to find a good composition.
Passiflora tetrandra is a vigorous climber, scaling lowland forest trees with ease. It has glossy dark green leaves and small white/yellow scented flowers in the spring. A large orange fruit is formed. Found throughout New Zealand.
The fruit of this plant is used in Maori medicine
The fruit is cooked in a hangi and the oil extracted from the seeds. This is useful in the treatment of rheumatism, as a salve for old wounds, skin ailments and to treat sore nipples. The oil is mixed with a concoction obtained from flax root and used to treat flatulence.

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