Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Torsten Ulmer (Author), John M. MacDougal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2004

Since they were first described in Europe in the 16th century, passionflowers have held a special fascination among plant collectors for their bold, beautiful, complicated blossoms and delectable passionfruits. Most are perennial climbers, but some are trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, or even annuals, and all lend a dramatic, tropical flavor to any situation. Since they have such a broad range of cultivation requirements, passionflowers can be grown by just about anyone, and cold-hardy species can be grown outdoors year-round. This authoritative, comprehensive volume describes 207 Passiflora species and 31 hybrids. A chapter is devoted to the remarkable coevolution of passionflowers with Heliconius butterflies, which many passionflower enthusiasts now raise alongside flowering vines in the greenhouse. As lushly illustrated as it is informative, Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World reveals the immense variation found among members of this extraordinary genus.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The outstanding images of the species are organized according to the most up-to-date phylogenetic hypothesis for Passifloraceae classification."
—L. C. Ewart, Choice, February 2005 (Choice )

"[This book] is a great resource if you, like me, just have to find out."
—Vern Nelson, Oregonian, February 24, 2005 (Oregonian )

Book Description

Since they were first described in Europe in the 16th century, passionflowers have held a special fascination among plant collectors for their bold, beautiful, complicated blossoms and delectable passionfruits. Passionflowers can be grown by just about anyone, and cold-hardy species can be grown outdoors year-round. This authoritative, comprehensive volume describes 207 Passiflora species and 31 hybrids. A chapter is devoted to the remarkable coevolution of passionflowers with Heliconius butterflies, which many enthusiasts now raise alongside flowering vines in the greenhouse. As lushly illustrated as it is informative, Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World reveals the immense variation of this extraordinary genus.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (September 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881926485
• ISBN-13: 978-0881926484
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic photographs - Great for Gardeners!, April 17, 2005

By 

Book Lover Person - See all my reviews

This review is from: Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World (Hardcover)

Hundreds of gorgeous photographs and lots of information about a flower that is not well known, beyond the usual nursery varieties. Passionflowers are a spectacular species and this volume tells you how to grow them, where they are found, the legend associated with Christ's crown of thorns and even more detailed knowledge for horticulturists or biologists. It's a good buy just for the pictures alone. The authors are experts, yet communicate clearly for everyone. Some of these flowers are out of this world!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars passion flowers, January 29, 2007

By 

babyboomer (TEXAS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World (Hardcover)

I've found this book to be more than informative. It helped me to identify a volunter that sprouted up in my garden. This book gives you information on the history, cultivation, propagation (various forms), and most inmortantly in depth descriptions with beautifull color photos. It make you want to have all the passion flowers you see!
It also has info on the butterflies that feed on them. I would recommend this book if you really are into passion flowers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent taxonomic resource, March 23, 2009

By 

Cody Hinchliff (Pullman, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World (Hardcover)

This is very good scientific treatment of the genus Passiflora, and is also the most complete treatment of the genus available in book form. It contains a wealth of information, from purely taxonomic data, to horticultural information and natural history. The species descriptions are short but informative, and most are accompanied by leaf illustrations that are useful for checking identifications. The color plates are numerous and do an excellent job of documenting Passiflora diversity, both morphological as well as socio-economic. Although many species are not treated here (about half the genus is missing), this does represent the most complete standalone treatment of the genus available to date. Most of those species that any layman or casually interested botanist is likely to encounter are included, and a table at the beginning lists the approximate numbers of species for all infrageneric taxa, which should help those studying diversity in the genus. Photographs of every listed species are included in the color plates, including numerous rare and infrequently documented taxa, further increasing the scientific value of this book. There are also short chapters on passion fruits, regional descriptions of Passiflora diversity (Belize and the Atlantic forest of Brazil, respectively), cultivation, and more. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the genus.