Inspiration

I got this one late last summer/early fall from Glass House Works. They'd sent it along as a 'bonus' plant in my order, I suppose to make up for the fact it took them six months to fill it. Incense was my first passiflora, so this tetraploid remake wasn't high on my wish list. But a passi is a passi, right? I planted it out a couple of months ago, and it has started rewarding me with blossoms:





There are several subtle differences between Inspiration and Incense. Despite being a tetraploid, Inspiration isn't any larger than Incense--either in flower or leaf size. Incense may actually be slightly more vigorous. The leaves of Inspiration are almost always three lobed, instead of five. It also shows no sign of the yellowing virus infecting all clones of Incense. The biggest difference is in the flowers--but a casual observer probably wouldn't notice. The petals reflex significantly in Inspiration, giving the flower a convex profile, whereas Incense is mostly flat in profile. Inspiration also has a slightly darker, more intense hue of purple, with more blue in it than Incense.

All in all, it's a nice plant. If you like Incense but are worried about that latent virus, this one's a good substitute if you can find it.

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