Hi friends, here’s one of the prettiest flowers on the island called a Passion flower or Passiflora foetida. It is also known as Love-in-a-Mist, Foetid Passionflower, Running Pop, Scarletfruit Passionflower, Stinking Passionflower, Tagua Passionflower, Wild Passion Fruit and Wild Water Lemon. The name foetida (Latin for foetid) came about because the damaged leaves emit an unpleasant odor. This species is quite varied: the flowers can be white, pink, purple or blue and the fruits are orange and the size of a kumquat. The leaves are trilobed or pentalobed, hairy and sticky and the stems are very thin, also covered with sticky hair. These sticky hairs can catch insects which are digested by enzymes contained in the sticky liquid. It is not clear if the plant retrieves part of its diet from this, it is more likely that it is a protection against possible damage caused by these insects. Many Passiflora have very complex flowers, some are scented, some are used in commercial perfumes. In the early 1600′s Catholic priests in Peru saw a religious symbolism to this plant. The name “Passion Flower” is said to derive from the vines flower resembling the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head. Others say that the parts of the plant symbolize features of the Crucifixion, known as, “the Passion of Christ”. The ten sepals and petals are the ten apostles (minus Judas and Peter), the darker circle the crown of thorns, the five stamens the wounds, the three styles the nails, and the leaves the hands of the persecutors.

For those of you asking, the little mamma hummingbird is doing great and still sitting on her eggs, we just got home from watching her.

It was another busy day, I dove and Aimee worked with dolphins, yeah I know tough life!!

Dinner is calling, Barry

PS; I want to thank everyone again for you continued support and all the GREAT comments I receive each and every day! In fact I get so many comments (around 1500 a week) that it is no longer possible for me to answer them but know that I really do appreciate you taking the time to post a comment!! Cheers!!