Finding and Harvesting Bush Passion Fruit (Passiflora Foetida)

Nature fosters the cure that cannot be formulated by humans. Natural benefits from a variety of wild plants are things that we should be grateful for and should improve our relationship with nature.

The fruit that I found this time is indeed not well-known for treatment. But this fruit also has natural benefits for proper health. :)

This is Bush Passion Fruit, or what I call "RAMBUSA" or "Markisa Mini" (read in English: a little passion fruit).

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Being able to find Bush Passion Fruit is a means of happiness because I feel lucky to find wild fruit that is currently difficult for me to find.

I held some Bush Passion Fruits that I had picked from the bushes around the rice fields.

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Bush Passion Fruit or mini-sized passion fruit has been seen rarely found because of the declining number of bushes in the countryside. Rice fields in the city of North Binjai has dropped dramatically because many have been sold and converted into housing. What a sad fact.

But behind that sad fact, let's take a closer look at the Bush Passion Fruit that I managed to find accidentally.

I walked on the edge of a rice field and passed several teak trees. Bush Passion Fruit vines at the bottom of the teak tree.

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Facts about the Bush Passion Fruit 

The Bush Passion Fruit Plant has the scientific name "Passiflora Foetida". This plant usually grows in areas of sun exposure such as in bushes, the edge of rice fields, closed forests, coastal areas in the tropics, subtropics, and facultative highlands.

Bush Passion Fruit has various names: wild maracuja, wild water lemon, stinking passionflower, love-in-a-mist or running pop.

In Indonesia, the Bush Passion Fruit is named after various names, including "Rambusa", "Passion Fruit Mini", "Gambutan" and many others.

This species of Bush Passion Fruit is thought to originate from the Southwestern United States (Southern Texas and Arizona), the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Then it has distribution to tropical regions such as Southeast Asia, South China, and Hawaii.

Bush Passion Fruit is a climbing type, with stems covered in yellow and sticky hair that emit odors. The smell that then makes this plant is also called the stinking passion fruit.

The flower parts are also similar to Passion Fruit.

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In addition to having a small fruit shape with a diameter of 2-3 cm, Bush Passion Fruit also has another uniqueness that is the part of the fruit is covered by hairs that look like a protective greenish-white-yellowish net.

Young Bush Passion Fruit is green and will turn yellow to orange when ripe. We can eat Bush Passion Fruit when it's ripe.

But we must be careful not to eat fruit that is still unripe perfectly and that is still green. In various references mentioned that the Bush Passion Fruit which is still unripe contains poison.

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Let's Try How the Bush Passion Fruit tastes 

In my opinion, the taste of Bush Passion Fruit is certainly no different from the taste of passion fruit in general. Tasted sweet and a little sour. But because of the small fruit size, eating just one fruit is not enough :)

Flesh and seeds are also the same as passion fruit in general.

The main saccharides in fruit are d-glucose, d-fructose, and raffinose.

For the texture of the outer shell of the Bush Passion Fruits, it is very soft and easily broken.

Because the texture of the outer shell easily breaks, even animals can easily enjoy the inside of this fruit. I managed to capture the moment of the ants who were enjoying the contents of the Bush Passion Fruit. Take a look!

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Natural Benefits of Bush Passion Fruit 

Historically, Bush Passion Fruit is considered to have been applied in traditional medicine, including for analgesics, treating insomnia, and epilepsy.

Bush Passion Fruit has antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antibacterial, and anti-osteoporosis activity.

Other nutrients that contain iron, vitamin C, calcium, minerals, and several other nutrients.

In a study, Bush Passion Fruit is considered as a new natural source that has unusual nutritional content. Then it should be able to get the attention of nutritionists and health practitioners to promote this fruit for future use.

The following are some of the health benefits of the Bush Passion Fruit for health that has also been trusted by our community, especially the people of Indonesia.

• Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth
  High calcium content in Bush Passion Fruit is useful for maintaining healthy bones. Healthy bones will avoid the risk of osteoporosis.

In addition, Bush Passion Fruit can help maintain healthy gums and teeth with the calcium content.

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• Prevents anemia
  The iron in Bush Passion Fruit helps to prevent anemia because it can help produce good red blood cells.

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The End Section 

If you are traveling to a forest or bush area, watch your steps. Maybe you can find a decent Bush Passion Fruit for you to taste. Then, because of the small fruit size, surely we will not be satisfied if we only enjoy one of this fruit.

I and the children in the village usually take time on weekends to look for Bush Passion Fruit in the bush which is usually not often stepped on by human feet. :)

Hopefully, you like the post about wild fruit that I found this time. See you in my next post.

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References 

• Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of the Fruits of a Chinese Wild Passiflora Foetida
• Passiflora foetida
  
• Health benefits of Bush Passion Fruit
  
  

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All Images are my own properties, taken with Oppo F1s Camera.