Aristolochia tagala
Encyclopedia
Aristolochia tagala is commonly known as Indian birthwort and locally as Dutchman's pipe
.
through South East Asia (includes Myanmar, Indonesia
, Indochina
, and Thailand
) and China, to Oceania
(includes the whole of Malesia
, the Solomon Islands
and Queensland
in Australia). The species is found in forests and open lowland thickets, climbing over bushes and trees.
The Malays pound the leaves apply it to the head to treat fever. In Indonesia, poultice are made with leaves of the species ; it is applied to the swollen abdomen or limbs. In the Philippines, snake bites and malaria is treated with the plant. In India, the roots are considered a tonic, carminative
and emmenagogue
.
Dutchman's Pipe
Dutchman's Pipe is a common name for some unrelated flowering plants, which have flowers, inflorescences or stems resembling a pipe:* Aristolochia species from the Aristolochiaceae...
.
Distribution
It is widely distributed: the distribution is from the Himalaya to Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
through South East Asia (includes Myanmar, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) and China, to Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
(includes the whole of Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in Australia). The species is found in forests and open lowland thickets, climbing over bushes and trees.
Ecological roles
The caterpillars of two rare butterflies, the Common Birdwing (Troides helena cerberus) and Common Rose , feed on the leaves of this plant. A foodplant for the species, Aristolochia tagala has been planted in the Kadoorie Farm and Shan Liu Road in Hong Kong to sustain a healthy population of Common Birdwing.Uses
The species is used as medicines.The Malays pound the leaves apply it to the head to treat fever. In Indonesia, poultice are made with leaves of the species ; it is applied to the swollen abdomen or limbs. In the Philippines, snake bites and malaria is treated with the plant. In India, the roots are considered a tonic, carminative
Carminative
A carminative, also known as carminativum , is a herb or preparation that either prevents formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract or facilitates the expulsion of said gas, thereby combating flatulence...
and emmenagogue
Emmenagogue
Emmenagogues are herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus; some stimulate menstruation. Women have used plants such as mugwort, parsley and ginger to prevent or terminate early pregnancy...
.