Aristolochia littoralis
Encyclopedia
Aristolochia littoralis (Calico Flower, Elegant Dutchman's Pipe) is an evergreen
deciduous
vine
belonging to the Aristolochiaceae
family.
aristos (άριστος) "best" + locheia (λοχεία), "childbirth" or "childbed", as in ancient times the plant was thought to be effective against infections caused by childbirth, The species Latin name littoralis means “coastal”.
differ by having fleshy moist fruit that do not split. This plant contains aristolochic acid, a toxic alkaloid.
, and is an invasive species in Australia
and in the southern United States
. In Australia the Aristolochia littoralis is fatal to the caterpillars of Ornithoptera euphorion and of the threatened Richmond Birdwing Butterfly
and threatens to displace their proper host plant, A. tagala
.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
deciduous
Deciduous
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...
belonging to the Aristolochiaceae
Aristolochiaceae
The Aristolochiaceae, or the Birthwort family, are a family of flowering plants with 7 genera and about 400 species belonging to the order Piperales...
family.
Etymology
The scientific name Aristolochia was developed from Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
aristos (άριστος) "best" + locheia (λοχεία), "childbirth" or "childbed", as in ancient times the plant was thought to be effective against infections caused by childbirth, The species Latin name littoralis means “coastal”.
Description
Aristolochia littoralis is a climbing vine that can reach about 3–4.5 m (9.8–14.8 ) in length. The slender stems are woody and the leaves are bright green, cordate, amplexicaul, 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 ) long and 5–10 cm (2–3.9 ) wide, forming a dense attractive foliage. Flowers are heart-shaped, greenish yellow with intricate purplish-brown markings. These unusual flower are about 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 ) long, grow solitary in the leaf axils and resemble a Sherlock Holme's pipe (hence the common name of Dutchman's Pipe). The inner surface of the flared mouth is completely purplish-brown. The flowering period extends through all Summer. These plants are pollinated by flies which are attracted by the unpleasant carrion-like odor produced by the flowers. The numerous winged seeds are borne in dry dehiscent capsules that split like small parachutes. As the seeds are winged they are easily dispersed by wind. Plants in the related genus PararistolochiaPararistolochia
Pararistolochia is a genus of plant family Aristolochiaceae. It contains the following species :Species from Africa:* Pararistolochia ceropegioides, Hutch. & Dalz....
differ by having fleshy moist fruit that do not split. This plant contains aristolochic acid, a toxic alkaloid.
Distribution
The plant is native to BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and is an invasive species in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and in the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In Australia the Aristolochia littoralis is fatal to the caterpillars of Ornithoptera euphorion and of the threatened Richmond Birdwing Butterfly
Ornithoptera richmondia
The Richmond Birdwing is a species of birdwing butterfly that is endemic to Australia. It is the second smallest of the birdwing species, the smallest being Ornithoptera meridionalis.-Distribution:...
and threatens to displace their proper host plant, A. tagala
Aristolochia tagala
Aristolochia tagala is commonly known as Indian birthwort and locally as Dutchman's pipe.-Distribution:It is widely distributed: the distribution is from the Himalaya to Sri Lanka through South East Asia and China, to Oceania...
.