A vine, belonging to the natural order Passifloreae, that produces one of
our most delicious tropical fruits. The papaw and the passion fruit
belong to this same order. It can be grown all along our eastern
seaboard, but comes to greatest perfection in the North. The fruit is of
a pale greenish-yellow colour, cylindrical in shape, and varies in
weight from about 1 to 5 lb., the largest fruits being produced on a
sub-species. The fruit consists of an outer pulpy covering, which can be
used for cooking if desired, which surrounds a cavity filled with seeds
which are encased in a jelly-like mass. This is the portion eaten, and
to use an Americanism, "It is not at all hard to take." It is either
eaten by itself, or is used in conjunction with papaw and other fruits
to make a fruit salad, a dish that is fit for the food of the gods, and
once taken is never forgotten.
The granadilla is easily grown from seed, and the plants are trained on
an overhead trellis, the fruit hanging down on the underside. It is a
heavy bearer, and once planted requires little attention. It requires a
free, warm soil, that is fairly rich, to be grown to perfection, hence
it is most commonly grown on scrub land. It can, however, be grown on
any well-prepared land of a free nature. Unfortunately, it is a
difficult fruit to ship any distance, hence its consumption is mainly
confined to the districts in which it is grown, and where, needless to
say, it is greatly appreciated. It is in fruit more or less all the year
round, its main crop being in early spring in the North, and during the
summer months further South. It is sometimes made into jam or jelly, but
when preserved loses much of its characteristic flavour.
[Illustration: Granadilla Vine at Kuranda, Cairns district.]