Passiflora new species
(Tacsonia/Manicata?)
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha Province NW Ecuador 2008
This extraordinary looking bat-pollinated Passiflora (which may also be visited by hummingbirds as well) was found by Nathan Muchhala (University of Toronto - Pollen Biologist) in cloud forests in NW Ecuador at around 2000m elevation in 2008 . Dr Les King notes that it has some similarities to P. ampullacea but it appears to have lost four of the five petals you would expect to see. Unfortunately it is not in cultivation and there are no herbarium specimens but hopefully it will be collected in 2009. Passiflora taxonomic experts Dr Christian Feuillet, Dr Larry Gilbert, Dr Peter Jorgensen, Cor Laurens, Dr John MacDougal and Dr John Vanderplank are all of the opinion that this is a new species with the unique characteristic out of over 525 known Passiflora species of only having one petal - which seems to be acting as an umbrella to keep the pollen dry. Neil Gale also suggests that the shape may reflect the bat's ultrasonic signals as it approaches the flower. A truly remarkable flower. | 
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