For many years the beautiful Passion Flower was thought to be a type of love potient or symbol of love and passion. Not true! In the 15th and 16th centuries Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical parts of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of JESUS and especially HIS crucifixion.
**Pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the Holy Lance. **The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of CHRIST.
**The ten petals and sepals represent ten faithful apostles (less Peter, the denier, and Judas Iscariot, the betrayer).
**The flower's radial filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns.
**The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents a hammer or Holy Grail.
**The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them, the 5 wounds (4 by the nails and one by the lance).
**The purple and white colors of many species represent Heaven and Purity. At this Easter season think on these things and remember the suffering and death of our LORD that we might be forgiven. Remember that HE is RISEN and we shall see HIM one day and live for eternity because of HIS great love for us. (click on the flower and then click again for a larger picture to see the beautiful details ).