New Species of Passion Flower Adds to the Biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula

Costa Rica is well known for its fabulous biodiversity and breathtaking natural beauty. Recently, the National Museum announced the discovery of a new species of passion flower in the Osa Peninsula. The flower comes from the same genus of plants that produce the granadilla fruit as well as the flower known in English as the passion fruit. While there are more than 500 species of passion flowers, less than two dozen of them exist outside the Americas.

Armando Estrada of the National Herbarium along with independent researcher Gerardo Rivera discovered the Passiflora soliana. Discovery of the flower was published by the Journal of the Botanical Research of Texas. It is currently believed that the flower is native to the rain forests in southern Costa Rica, specifically the Osa Peninsula near riverbeds. The discovery of the new flower brings the total number of species of passion flowers that are native to Costa Rica to 52. This is actually the first species of passion flower to be discovered in more than a decade.