I always thought the name passion flower came from the romantic scent the flowers give off, but the name comes from Spanish missionaries in the 15th and 16th centuries who used the flower’s structure to illustrate Jesus’ last days, or the Passion of Christ. The tendrils, for example, remind us of the whips used to scourge Christ. The stigmas represent the three nails used in his crucifixion, and the five anthers below symbolize the five wounds (hands, feet and side). The ten petals were supposed to represent the ten faithful disciples, excluding Peter the denier and Judas Iscariot the betrayer. Yeah, that’s a stretch, but you get the idea. I just wish there was a way to include the heavenly scent with this picture.
