Passiflora

 

The centre of Passiflora diversity is central and south America where the forest home of the genus is under ever increasing threat and because of mimicry, the number of species is often underestimated by local botanists. John is actively involved in fieldwork, studying the genus in situ and collecting material to add to and study within the collection. Careful study of the plants ex-situ has led to the recognition of several new species of Passiflora.

 

www.passiflora-uk.co.uk. Within the collection, a permanent exhibition demonstrates the beauty of the genus and the importance of its conservation to horticulture and botany. The loss of forest habitat affecting Passiflora makes ex-situ conservation a necessity. The loss of habitat not only endangers Passiflora but the complex relationship it has with Longwing or Heliconiid butterflies, which have coevolved with Passiflora; the conservation of the plants is a pre-requisite for butterfly conservation. John has helped research at Rothamstead Research Station to study their interaction. John started his collection in 1984 with approximately 30 cultivars; a second Passiflora National Plant Collection nearby now grows many of the cultivars.

 

Among the many achievements of this National Collection Holder are:

·        Provided young plants of species and cultivars for the creation of a National Collection of Passiflora in Thailand.

·        Published widely including scientific papers with the University of Mississippi.

·        Registrar for Passiflora cultivars from 2001 to 2004.

·        Published the first Passiflora register in 2003 which includes 574 cultivar epithets and 236 cultivar descriptions.

·        Research into the pollen of Passiflora.

·        Studied Passiflora seed coat morphology using an Scanning Electron Microscope

 

The collection extends from species growing at 3,200 metres in the Andes to species thriving in the sweltering heat of the humid tropical lowland forest of the Guyanas.