Auxin Posted August 17, 2002 Something interesting just happened. [This is one data point only so don't preach it as gospel, it could be a coincidence for all I know] Ok... I grow maypop (Passiflora incarnata) for its pretty flowers and the promise of fruit in the future. Last night I read that some people eat the flowers too. Tonight the wind busted off a 3 foot section covered with flower buds just a day or three away from blooming. I wanted to get an indication of what the flowers tasted like, so I took the biggest flower bud, peeled the covering off, and chewed lightly on it, making sure not to swallow because for all I know the immature flowers could be toxic. The taste wasnt bad, kind of a neutral taste- something a hippie might eat. But then the strange thing happened, when I spat the stuff out my lips went part the way numb and stayed that way for a while, kind of like getting hot pepper on my lips minus the burning. Tongue and gums uneffected. I might try it again tomorrow to see if its reproducable in me. Anyone have any clue as to what happened? Any maypop growers out there want to do their own test and provide additional data points? If the effect is reproduceable and the material is proven somewhere to be non-toxic it could provide a interesting spice of sorts... and people say I have strange taste in food! I like food you can FEEL, not just taste Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ashoka Posted August 18, 2002 Hi Auxin The flowers of Passiflora incarnata contains harmala alkaloids, but that wouldn't explain the numbness I guess. Or would it? Cheers Ash Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theobromos Posted August 20, 2002 Both the dried and fresh plants of many (all?) Passiflora contain cyanogenic glucosides. These are not toxic in themselves but the fresh plant has active enzymes which when released by chewing react with the cyanogenic glucosides to produce hydrogen cyanide (aka hydrocyanic acid, prussic acid, the "parent" acid of the cyanide salts). This is a defence against being eaten. The fruit usually have much lower or no cyanide activity as their purpose is to be eaten. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted August 20, 2002 "cyanogenic glucosides" Yup, that sounds like the culprit. Good thing I didn't eat 'em, thanks for the info. ... Damn, no numbing spice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites