On our expedition on April 7, 2022, in Aldea El Rosario, Livingston, Izabal, we were able to photograph this incredible passionflower tree, commonly called Flor de Mayo. Something unusual since passionflowers usually grows like a vine. This tree is incredible for the color of its flowers, very strong orange. When you see it, you feel spring in the air.
Botany Description: Erblichia odorata is the scientific name of this incredible passiflora tree. It measures between 10 to 30 m in height. Trunk with black outer bark. Simple and alternate leaves, 5-18 x 2-3.5 cm, lanceolate, with acuminate apex, toothed or crenate edges, and decurrent base. The teeth on the edges of the leaves are glandular. Petiole 0.5-1 cm long. Yellow, red, or slightly orange flowers. Fruits in rough and dehiscent capsules in three valves when ripe. Seeds with aril (ASU-BKIC, w.d)
Photo by Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth. April 7th, 2022. iPhone 13 Pro Max. (Erblichia odorata)
Phylogenetic relationships with the Passifloraceae family: Turneroideae currently belongs to the Passifloraceae family within the order Malpighiales, some of the synapomorphies of the order are: toothed leaf margin, dry stigma; fibrous exotegment. Passifloraceae is further divided into three subfamilies: Passifloroideae, Malesherbioideae, and Turneroideae. The synapomorphies shared by the subfamilies Turneroideae and Malesherboideae are: spiral leaves; cells of the exotesta arranged in lines (UDELAR, 2017)
Photo by Victor Mendoza. Sony A1. April 7th, 2022. Aldea El Rosario, Livingston. Stamens and stigma of the flower
Bibliography
- 2019
- “ESTUDIO TAXONÓMICO DE LAS ESPECIES SILVESTRES Y CULTIVADAS DE LA FAMILIA PASSIFLORACEAE EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE LIMA, PERÚ” PDF
Available online:
http://repositorio.lamolina.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/20.500.12996/
4265/chavez-corcuera-gonzalo-fernando.pdf?sequence=1
- 2017
- PASSIFLORACEAE Juss. ex Roussel. subfam. TURNEROIDEAE Eaton.
Available online:
www.thecompositaehut.com/www_tch/webcurso_spv/familias_pv/
passifloraceae_turneroideae.html