Known
also as the passion flowers or passion vines, Passiflora is a genus of about 500 species of
flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae.
They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs. In the 15th and 16th centuries,
Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this
plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the
last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion:
The Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora Caerulea) shows most elements of the Christian symbolism
The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the lance that pierced Jesus’ side.
The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.
The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (excluding St. Peter and Judas Iscariot)
The Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora Caerulea) shows most elements of the Christian symbolism
The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the lance that pierced Jesus’ side.
The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.
The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (excluding St. Peter and Judas Iscariot)
The flower's
radial filaments, which can
number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown
of thorns.
The chalice-shaped
ovary with its receptacle
represents the chalice or the Holy Grail.
The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance).
The blue and white colors of many species' flowers represent Heaven and Purity.
I took the above photos in Malta, where the Passion flowers grow profusely, especially in the spring.
The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance).
The blue and white colors of many species' flowers represent Heaven and Purity.
I took the above photos in Malta, where the Passion flowers grow profusely, especially in the spring.
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