Fenologia do florescimento e características do perfume das flores de Passiflora quadrangularis L. (Maracujá-melão)

• Autor(a) principal: Montero, Daniel Antonio Villamil [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Meletti, Laura Maria Molina, Marques, Marcia Ortiz Mayo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.14295/rbho.v19i2.654; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/140965
• topic: Passifloraceae; Floral phenology; Ornamental; Floral scent; Passifloraceae; Badea; Ornamental; Fragrância floral

Passiflora quadrangularis L. it’s a neotropical species, commonly known in Brazil as the melon passion fruit due to the size and format of its fruits. Currently, it has been widely disseminated throughout the tropics and it is commercially produced on a small scale, but mostly locally consumed because the fruits bruise easily when shipped. The plants of P. quadrangularis are vigorous climbers with abundant foliage and big beautiful scented flowers for which its use as ornamental plant seems particularly interesting. It has been stipulated that for the effective use of passion flowers in the ornamental plant market, studies need to be done on the flowering phenology. For this reason, we investigated some features regarding the flowering phenology and the composition of the scent produced by the flowers of P. quadrangularis cultivated at greenhouse. We present data concerning to the flowering period, blossom pick, relative blossom intensity and some characteristics of the flower scent. We conclude that P. quadrangularis represents a novel alternative as an ornamental plant in Brazil, because it’s abundant, big, scented, colorful, anthesis-simultaneous and flowers with long period of blossom. Also because it´s edible fruit and the medicinal properties of the exuberant foliage that could offer a nice shading for outdoor leisure areas and/or shade plants.