n. a climbing herb, Passiflora incarnata, indigenous to the southeastern United States and other subtropical areas but also cultivated as an ornamental plant. Parts of the plant have been used both externally and internally for a variety of medicinal purposes, ranging from treatment of burns and hemorrhoids to the alleviation of neuralgia and spasms or seizures. Passionflower tea has long been a folk remedy for the relief of nervous tension. Although some studies suggest passionflower has sedative properties and it has been approved in Germany for treatment of insomnia and anxiety, definitive clinical evidence of this effect has not been established. Adverse reactions are rare but may include nausea, vomiting, and rapid heart rate.