March 18, 2010

Smorgasbord of Passion


(Photo by Cleaper, Dreamstime.com)

The beautiful, unusual passion flower!  There are over 600 species so they come in many colors, white, pink, yellow, red, purple, and blue.  Some have edible fruits--passion fruit.

The unusual shape of the passion flower has led to the plant being associated with Christian symbolism with the passion of Jesus.  

There are variations of a legend involving a Jesuit Priest in 1620. He was fascinated with the beauty and had a vision in which parts of the flower were likened to the Crucifixion or Passion of Christ.

The three stamens represent Christ's wounds.  The twelve petals represent the apostles. The purple corona is the crown of thorns, and the stemmed ovary is the Lord's goblet.

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