Monday, September 30, 2013

Passiflora foetida - Letup (Malay)

Passiflora foetida (Letup - Malay)
Family : Passifloraceae - Passion flower family

 This is very popular among Sarawakian kids because the ripe fruits have pulp that are  juicy and tasty.  Birds also love the ripe fruits.  The young leaves can be cooked as vegetables.  The plant is also known as ' Kamibit or Peletup' among the Ibans of Sarawak because of the 'pop' sound when pressed hard between the palms.  The young fruit is enclosed in a basket formed from 3 finely subdivided bracts bearing sticky glandular hairs.


Young fruit is green and ripe ones are a bright orange in colour.
Note the grandular hair enveloping the young fruit.