Passiflora incarnata Identity & Plant Part
The botanical entity is Passiflora incarnata L., a perennial climbing vine of the Passifloraceae family. The part used is the aerial portion of the plant: leaves, stems and flowers cut above ground. Roots and fruit are not part of this ingredient, and the fruit pulp sold as passion fruit is a different species and a different material.
That species point is the main source of confusion. Passion fruit comes from Passiflora edulis, grown for its fruit, while the herbal drug tradition and the pharmacopoeial herb belong to P. incarnata. The herb carries flavonoid C-glycosides, vitexin and isoorientin among them, and these are the constituent family that standardized grades are built on.
Passionflower herb is also sold as a cut dried herb for infusions. That cut differs from a dispersible extract powder in particle size and in how it wets, so the two cannot replace each other in a formula without retesting.












