Category: Environment

A healthy population of Mul Kovai (முள் கோவை), a wild passion fruit vine known for its distinctive flowers and edible fruits, has been spotted growing around the kanmai of Sri Vettai Venkatesa Perumal Temple.

The climber (Passiflora foetida L.), which belongs to the Passifloraceae family, is a fast-growing vine commonly found in hedges, open fields, roadsides and wastelands. At the temple tank, the plant is seen spreading naturally along the surrounding vegetation, with several vines bearing flowers and developing fruits.

One of the plant’s most striking features is its delicate white flowers with a pinkish-purple centre, surrounded by a crown of fine thread-like filaments. The flowers, which bloom mainly in the morning, attract bees and other pollinating insects. The developing fruits are enclosed within a unique cage-like covering formed by hairy green bracts, making the species easy to identify in the wild.

As the fruits mature, they turn from green to yellow or orange and contain a sweet orange pulp filled with black seeds. The ripe fruits are edible and are known to be rich in natural sugars, vitamin C and antioxidants.

The leaves of Passiflora foetida are soft, hairy and typically three-lobed, with a heart-shaped base and serrated edges. When crushed, they emit a distinctive unpleasant odour, a characteristic that inspired the species name foetida, meaning “foul-smelling”.

Ecologically, the species plays an important role by providing nectar for bees and butterflies, while also serving as a host plant for several butterfly species during their life cycle. The sighting of this rare species highlights the kanmai’s rich natural biodiversity.