Tropicals & Tender Perennials: A Volunteer Self-cross of Passiflora 'Lambiekins'?, 1 by atisch

atisch wrote:
I have a large container planted with Passiflora 'Lambiekins'. It's now over 3 years old and it's an extremely large and dense vine that completely covers it's own container and much of an adjacent garage wall. I was struck by one branch producing consistently different, but similar flowers. Here is a photo of the two flowers together (P. 'Lambiekins' is on top):

My impression is that this is actually a selfing cross rather than a mutated branch. The original plant is far too large and dense to trace the vine to its source. I have good evidence that P. 'Lambiekins' is at least occasionally capable of producing viable seed.

P.'Lambiekins' produces a great number of small ornamental yellow fruit pods. Almost all produce no seed or fruit. Occasionally, I've found a few with seeds. Two weeks ago I found one pod with two seeds and one with three, which I've collected, washed and planted. To date three seedlings have emerged. Also I've observed spontaneous seedlings appear from the ground near to where the vine has dropped fruit, often in clumps of two or more seedlings together and many feet from the container. I have a number of these potted but none are mature enough to produce any flowers yet.

I find the oddball flower to be as interesting as P. 'Lambiekins' itself. It is nearly as large and heavy. The flower has some of the same dark reddish purple coloring as the parent, but is devoid of any of it's clear blue color. The petals are completely white. I would say that the new vine is not as vigorous as the parent vine, but then again it's a small plant completing with a well-established plant and confined to the same container. I amazed that it has been able to compete at all.

While this is new to me, it must be a well-known phenomenon that happens all the time and with this and many other hybrid Passifloras that are referred to as self sterile. I would love for others to post what they know or have observed along these lines.