(UTOT-UTOT) WILD PASSION FRUIT

 This wild fruit (utot-utot) is been a part of my childhood.My family used to lived in a farm far from the city.When i was in elementary me and my brother would barefootly walked 3 kilometers (back and forth)  from home  to school carrying our shoes and wear it only once we were inside the school vicinity .Along our way we would searched the bushes looking for tres marias or utot-utot .And if we  found one either its green or orange,we would collect them all and ate it on our way.The green ones (unripe) we would squeezed it to make a loud popping sound,that's why its called utot-utot.But the orange one(ripe) taste so delicious soury sweet like lemon taste....Even now every time i have my vacation to my hometown i still do the same.That feeling of being child again returns... 😊

Passiflora foetida (common names: wild maracuja, bush passion fruit,[1] marya-marya,wild water lemon,[2] stinking passionflower,[2]love-in-a-mist or running pop[2]) is a species of passion flower that is native to thesouthwestern United States (southern Texasand Arizona), Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and much of South America. It has been introduced to tropical regions around the world,[2] such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Hawaii.[3] It is a creeping vine like other members of the genus, and yields an edible fruit.[4] The specific epithet, foetida, means "stinking" in Latin and refers to the strong aroma emitted by damaged foliage.[5]

Passiflora foetidaPassiflora foetida fruitsScientific classification
Kingdom:PlantaeClade:AngiospermsClade:EudicotsClade:RosidsOrder:MalpighialesFamily:PassifloraceaeGenus:PassifloraSpecies

Binomial namePassiflora foetida


Description:

The stems are thin and wiry, covered with minute sticky yellow hairs. Older stems become woody. The leaves are three- to five-lobed and viscid-hairy. When crushed, these leaves give off a pungent odor that some people consider unpleasant. The flowers are white to pale cream coloured, about 5–6 cm diameter. The fruit is globose, 2–3 cm diameter, yellowish-orange to red when ripe, and has numerous black seeds embedded in the pulp; the fruit are eaten and the seeds dispersed by bi

Passiflora foetida is able to trap insects on itsbracts, which exude a sticky substance that also contains digestive enzymes. This minimizes predation on young flowers and fruits.[6] Whether or not it gains nourishment from its prey is uncertain, and it is currently considered a protocarnivorous plant.[7]

Medicinal Use:

This passion flower tolerates arid ground, but favours moist areas. It is known to be aninvasive species in some areas.[4] This plant is also a widely grown perennial climber, and has been used in traditional medicine.[8]

The fruits are roughly the size of a ping pong ball or kumquat and contain a bluish-white pulp that is mildly sweet and delicately flavored. In the Philippines, the fruit ofPassiflora foetida are known colloquially asmarya-marya ('Little Mary'), 'kurombot', andsanto papa (due to its resemblance to thePope's mitre). Young leaves and plant tips are also edible. Dry leaves are used in tea inVietnamese folk medicine to relieve sleeping problems, as well as treatment for itching and coughs.[9]

Animal interaction

Passiflora foetida is a larval host and nectar source for the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae).[10]

Passiflora foetida has been mentioned as a toxic plant by farmers from northeastern Brazil. An experiment done with goats led to the discovery that high levels of cyanide inP. foetida cause poisoning after the ingestion of fresh leaves, mostly during the dry season.[11]