This passionfruit was still deep green, but it simply let go and fell from the vine when I touched it, so I think it is ripe. Each little amphora-shaped packet holds a bit of juice and a seed.
As I've said before, I find the native passionfruit pretty tasteless, so, no, I did not taste this particular fruit.
The caterpillar in the top pic is the larvae of ...
... the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.
It's hard to say who is more eye catching, the pollinator or the pollinatee in that relationship.
The passionflower vine is now almost 75% denuded due to the abundance of GF caterpillars feasting on it presently.
On some of the stems you can find the cast off molts of the GF caterpillars like the one in the picture above ... at least, that's what I make of it.
It certainly doesn't look like a dead body ... just a covering that doesn't fit anymore ... like those jeans in the spring after a winter of comfort food.
They've grown rapidly from tiny bits just a few weeks ago to 3 inch long ready to pupate larvae. There are not many passionvine leaves left, so they'd better get on with it.
11 comments:
I have heard that maypop tea has certain hallucinatory properties.
I wonder if the 'pillars get happy feet from eating it?
I've only had the highly sweetened passion fruit juice, and that is no good either. (Maybe we're missing something.)
This week I've been nibbling on Sanibel's bountiful sea grapes (grown as hedges, specimen plants and wind breaks... they're everywhere). They're 80% seed, 10% skin and 10% flesh... but the flavor is fabulous.
Yesterday's post: I love cattle egrets. I did a watercolor painting of a fat speckled "cracker cow" as a gift for a friend who moved to Florida and collects cows.
Things are being denuded and allowed to pupate here? Geeze, what is this site rated?? I'm telling.
Myamuh,
hmmm. I never heard that, but I think this cat incorporates some passionflower toxins into it's body.
Susan,
I've had seagrape jelly, but never the raw fruit.Your painting sounds like a classic Florida scene.
Freste,
and pollinatin' too! We've gone completely decadent here.
Did you get my email the other day? I know you say you don't check it often.
Perhaps thunder has a receipt for the native passion fruit and it more than likely has plenty of tequila in it S T E B
Joey,
I had no time last night ... hence no post yet today and can't check my personal email from work.
I'll check it later this evening.
STEB,
LOL! I'm sure it does!
If you ask me that should be called eggplant! BTW I posted pics of the Chinese version, quite different!
Oh I forgot to add that I liked the creepy-crawly above the split open fruit! ;-)
I doan even know, is them passion fruits edible?
Did I as't ya ' yet iffin' youse read Annie Dillard's *Pilgrim at Tinker Creek*? You remind me of it.
TD,
That is different!
Aunty,
Never read it, but I need to don't I?
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