Aristolochia californica
Encyclopedia
Aristolochia californica, the California pipevine or California Dutchman's-pipe is a perennial woody vine that is endemic
to California.
vine
with purple-striped curving pipe-shaped flowers which give rise to winged capsular green fruits. After it blooms, the plant sends out new green heart-shaped leaves. The vines grow from rhizome
s to a length of over twenty feet and can become quite thick in circumference at maturity. This plant is common in moist woods and in riparian zone
s along streams in Northern
and Central California
.
-feeding insect
s. The insects crawl into the convoluted flowers and often become stuck and disoriented for some time, picking up pollen
as they wander. Most eventually escape; the plant is not insectivorous
as was once thought. Fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) may prove to be the effective pollinators. G.L. Stebbins suggested that pollination by deceit is presumed.
of the Pipevine swallowtail butterfly
(Battus philenor) relies on California pipevine as its only food source. The red-spotted black caterpillar
s consume the leaves of the plants and then use the flowers as a secure, enclosed place to undergo metamorphosis. The plant contains a toxin which when ingested by the caterpillars makes them unpalatable to predators.
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to California.
Description
Aristolochia californica is a deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
with purple-striped curving pipe-shaped flowers which give rise to winged capsular green fruits. After it blooms, the plant sends out new green heart-shaped leaves. The vines grow from rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s to a length of over twenty feet and can become quite thick in circumference at maturity. This plant is common in moist woods and in riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
s along streams in Northern
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
and Central California
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
.
Pollination
The California pipevine's flowers have an unpleasant odor which is attractive to tiny carrionCarrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
-feeding insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. The insects crawl into the convoluted flowers and often become stuck and disoriented for some time, picking up pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
as they wander. Most eventually escape; the plant is not insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
as was once thought. Fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) may prove to be the effective pollinators. G.L. Stebbins suggested that pollination by deceit is presumed.
Pipevine swallowtail butterfly
The larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
of the Pipevine swallowtail butterfly
Pipevine swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail is a swallowtail butterfly found in North and Central America. The butterflies are black with iridescent blue hind wings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests...
(Battus philenor) relies on California pipevine as its only food source. The red-spotted black caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s consume the leaves of the plants and then use the flowers as a secure, enclosed place to undergo metamorphosis. The plant contains a toxin which when ingested by the caterpillars makes them unpalatable to predators.
See also
- Pipevine swallowtail butterfly - nectar sources
- California native plantsCalifornia native plantsCalifornia native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...