Stinking passionflower

Passiflora foetida, stinking passionflower, is a wild vine from tropical America that has spread over Indian hedges, fences and wasteland. Its flowers are wrapped in a cage of feathery, sticky bracts that trap small insects. Its small, orange-yellow fruits are sweet and edible when fully ripe. The leaves smell unpleasant when crushed, which explains the name foetida.

Botanical name

Passiflora foetida L.

Family

Passifloraceae

Tamil

Siru kodipazham

Hindi

Jhumka lata

Parts used

Ripe fruit

Habit

Wild passion; grocery passion fruit is a cousin

Last updated

2026-10-30

How to recognise Stinking passionflower

It is a climbing vine with tendrils and soft, hairy, three-lobed leaves that smell rank when crushed.

Flowers are white to pale lilac with a fringe of purple-banded filaments, typical of passionflowers.

Each flower and fruit is enclosed in a net of finely divided, feathery bracts covered in sticky glandular hairs.

The fruit is a small, round berry, green turning orange-yellow, with sweet, grey pulp around black seeds. Grocery passion fruit, Passiflora edulis, has a large purple or yellow fruit and no feathery bracts.

Traditional use of Stinking passionflower

Village food

Ripe fruits are picked and eaten by children in many parts of India and Southeast Asia.

Village practice

Folk practice

Leaves have been used in folk preparations in tropical America and Asia.

Folk practice

Modern notes on Stinking passionflower

Indian botanists studying the sticky bracts found that they trap insects and secrete digestive enzymes, so the plant may be partly carnivorous. The idea is still debated.

Unripe fruits and leaves contain cyanogenic compounds.

Stinking passionflower safety

Eat only fully ripe, orange fruits. Unripe fruit and leaves can be toxic.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to tropical America and has become invasive in many tropical regions, including parts of India and Australia.

Caterpillars of several butterflies, including the tawny coster, feed on its leaves.

Birds and mammals eat the fruit and spread the seeds.

Related plants

Questions about Stinking passionflower

Is Stinking passionflower passion fruit?

It is a wild relative with much smaller fruit.

Is the fruit of Stinking passionflower edible?

Yes, when fully ripe and orange.

Why stinking?

The leaves smell unpleasant when crushed.

Where does Stinking passionflower grow in India?

Over hedges, fences and wasteland across most of the country.

Sources

• Passiflora foetida L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
• Wikidata item Q1766333 (Passiflora foetida)

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.