Aristolochia
Calico Flower (Aristolochia littoralis, sometimes called A. elegans)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Magnoliophyta (unranked): Magnoliids Order: Piperales Family: Aristolochiaceae Genus: Aristolochia L.
Species
Over 500, see text
Synonyms
Hocquartia Dum. Isotrema Raf. (disputed)

Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species. Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman's pipes, they are the namesake of the family (Aristolochiaceae). They are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates, but they are not native to Australia. Some species, like A. utriformis and A. westlandii, are threatened with extinction.

Isotrema is usually included here, but might be a valid genus. If so, it contains those species with a three-lobed calyx.

Description

Aristolochia is a genus of evergreen and deciduous woody vines and herbaceous perennials. The smooth stem is erect or somewhat twining. The simple leaves are alternate and cordate, membranous, growing on leaf stalks. There are no stipules.

The flowers grow in the leaf axils. They are inflated and globose at the base, continuing as a long perianth tube, ending in a tongue-shaped, brightly colored lobe. There is no corolla. The calyx is one to three whorled, and three to six toothed. The sepals are united (gamosepalous). There are six to 40 stamens in one whorl. They are united with the style, forming a gynostemium. The ovary is inferior and is four to six locular.

These flowers have a specialized pollination mechanism. The plants are aromatic and their strong scent attracts insects. The inner part of the perianth tube is covered with hairs, acting as a fly-trap. These hairs then wither to release the fly, covered with pollen.

The fruit is dehiscent capsule with many endospermic seeds.

The common names "Dutchman's Pipe" and "Pipevine" (e.g. Common Pipevine, A. durior) are an allusion to old-fashioned meerschaum pipes at one time common in the Netherlands and Northern Germany. "Birthwort" (e.g. European Birthwort, A. clematitis) refers to these species' flower shape, resembling a birth canal. Some reference books^{[citation needed]} state that the scientific name Aristolochia was developed from Ancient Greek aristos (άριστος) "best" + locheia (λοχεία), "childbirth" or "childbed".

Medical use and toxicity

A. clematitis was highly regarded as a medical plant since the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and on to until the Early Modern era; it plays also a minor role in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is however most notable for containing toxic aristolochic acid, sometimes in quantities fatal to humans.

Due to the Doctrine of signatures "birthwort" was used in childbirth. A preparation was given to women in labor to expel the placenta, but the aristolochic acid may just as well kill the patient.^[1]

Virginia Snakeroot (A. serpentaria) is thus named because the root was used to treat snakebite, also with a rather uncertain degree of success. A. pfeiferi, A. rugosa and A. trilobata are also used in folk medicine to cure snakebites. Aristolochic acid does indeed appear to bind and deactivate the Phospholipase A2 of certain snake venoms^{[verification needed][citation needed]}.

Others^[who?] claim that a decoction of birthwort stimulates the production and increases the activity of leukocytes (white blood cells), or that pipevines contain a disinfectant which assists in wound healing. Aristolochia bracteolata is colloquially known as "Worm Killer" due to supposed antihelminthic activity.

Epidemiological and laboratory studies^{[citation needed]} have shown the toxicity of herbal remedies containing plant species of the genus Aristolochia. Herbal compounds containing Aristolochia are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.^[2]

In July 1999, two cases of nephropathy associated with the use of Chinese botanical preparations were reported in the United Kingdom^{[citation needed]}. These preparations were shown to contain aristolochic acid. Biopsy samples showed extensive loss of cortical tubules with interstitial fibrosis. In 1993, a series of end-stage renal disease cases had been reported^{[citation needed]} from Belgium associated with a weight loss treatment, where Stephania tetrandra in a herbal preparation was suspected of being substituted with Aristolochia fangchi^[3]. More than 105 patients were identified with nephropathy following the ingestion of this preparation from the same clinic from 1990-1992. Many required renal transplantation or dialysis. Subsequent follow up of these patients has shown^{[citation needed]} they are at an increased risk of urological cancer. Note that in TCM neither plant is used for prolonged weight loss treatments.

It appears as if contamination of grain with European Birthwort (A. clematitis) is a cause of Balkan nephropathy, a severe renal disease occurring in parts of southeastern Europe.^[4]

Other uses

Due to their spectacular flowers, several species are used as ornamental plants.

Many species of Aristolochia are food for larvae of Lepidoptera, namely swallowtail butterflies. These become unpalatable to most predators by eating the plants. Lepidoptera feeding on pipevines include:

Choreutidae

• Millieria leaf miners

Papilionidae

• False Apollo (Archon apollinus) – known from numerous pipevine species
• Bhutanitis
  • Bhutan Glory (B. lidderdalii) – known from A. griffithi, A. kaempferii, A. mandshuriensis and maybe others^{[verification needed]}
  • Chinese Three-tailed Swallowtail (B. thaidina) – known from A. moupinensis
• Cairns Birdwing (Ornithoptera euphorion) and Richmond Birdwing (O. richmondia). A. littoralis is fatal for their caterpillars, and this invasive weed threatens to displace the Aristolochiaceae properly utilized by these butterfly.
• Troidini
  • Great Windmill (Atrophaneura dasarada) – only known from A. griffithi
  • Common Batwing (Atrophaneura varuna) – only known from A. kaempferi
  • Troides plateni – only known from Indian Birthwort (A. tagala)
  • Rajah Brooke Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) – only known from A. foveolata
  • Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) – known on A. macrophylla, Virginia Snakeroot (A. serpentaria) and others

Nymphalidae

• Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber) – known from numerous pipevine species

Selected species

• Aristolochia acuminata
• Aristolochia acutifolia
• Aristolochia allemanii
• Aristolochia anguicida – Harlequin Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia arborea
• Aristolochia arcuata
• Aristolochia auricularia
• Aristolochia baetica
• Aristolochia bilabiata – West Indian Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia billardieri
• Aristolochia bilobata – Two-lobed Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia bodamae
• Aristolochia bottae
• Aristolochia bracteolata – Worm Killer
• Aristolochia bridgesii – Chilean Yellow Fox's Ears
• Aristolochia burelae
• Aristolochia californica – California Pipevine, California Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia cauliflora
• Aristolochia caudata
• Aristolochia clematitis – European Birthwort
• Aristolochia chachapoyensis
• Aristolochia chapmaniana (= A. tonduzii)
• Aristolochia chilensis – Chilean Fox's Ears
• Aristolochia colossifolia – Giant-leaved Aristolochia
• Aristolochia constricta
• Aristolochia cordiflora
• Aristolochia cordigera
• Aristolochia cornuta
• Aristolochia coryi – Cory's Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia cucurbitifolia
• Aristolochia cucurbitoides
• Aristolochia cymbifera
• Aristolochia daemoninoxia
• Aristolochia dalyi
• Aristolochia delavayi
• Aristolochia deltantha
• Aristolochia deltoidea
• Aristolochia durior (= A. macrophylla) – Common Dutchman's Pipe, Common Pipevine
• Aristolochia erecta – Swanflower
• Aristolochia eriantha
• Aristolochia esperanzae
• Aristolochia fangchi
• Aristolochia filipendulina
• Aristolochia fimbriata – White-veined Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia foetida – Jalisco Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia foveolata
• Aristolochia galeata
• Aristolochia gibertii (= A. giberti^{[verification needed]})
• Aristolochia gigantea – Giant Pelican Flower, Brazilian Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia glandulosa – Cuban Birthwort
• Aristolochia gorgona
• Aristolochia grandiflora – Pelican Flower
• Aristolochia griffithi
• Aristolochia guentheri
• Aristolochia hainanensis
• Aristolochia hians
• Aristolochia hirta
• Aristolochia holtzei
• Aristolochia inflata
• Aristolochia iquitensis
• Aristolochia kaempferi
• Aristolochia kewensis
• Aristolochia klugii – Moth-winged Birthwort
• Aristolochia indica
• Aristolochia islandica
• Aristolochia labiata – Mottled Dutchman's Pipe, Rooster Flower
• Aristolochia leuconeura
• Aristolochia lindneri
• Aristolochia lingulata
• Aristolochia littoralis – Elegant Dutchman's Pipe, Calico Flower
• Aristolochia longa – Long Aristolochia, Sarrasine
• Aristolochia macrophylla
• Aristolochia macroura
• Aristolochia manchuriensis
• Aristolochia mathewsii
• Aristolochia maurorum
• Aristolochia maxima – Florida Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia moupinensis
• Aristolochia nana – Tiny Pelican Flower
• Aristolochia obliqua
• Aristolochia odoratissima – Fragrant Dutchman's Pipe, "contrayerva" (on Jamaica)
• Aristolochia orbicularis
• Aristolochia ornithocephala – Bird's Head Pipevine
• Aristolochia ovalifolia
• Aristolochia pallida
• Aristolochia parviflora
• Aristolochia paulistana
• Aristolochia peltata – Peltate Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia pentandra – Marsh's Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia pfeiferi – dubsangid (Kuna)
• Aristolochia pilosa
• Aristolochia pistolochia
• Aristolochia poecilantha
• Aristolochia pontica
• Aristolochia prostrata
• Aristolochia pubera
• Aristolochia raja
• Aristolochia reticulata – Red River Snakeroot, Texas Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia ridicula
• Aristolochia ringens – Gaping Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia rotunda – Smearwort, Round Birthwort (Bush), English Mercury, Mercury Goosefoot, Allgood, Tola Bona, "fat hen"
• Aristolochia rugosa – Mat Root (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Aristolochia schippii
• Aristolochia scytophylla
• Aristolochia sempervirens
• Aristolochia serpentaria – Virginia Snakeroot
• Aristolochia silvatica
• Aristolochia sipho
• Aristolochia socorroensis
• Aristolochia sprucei – Spruce-leaved Aristolochia
• Aristolochia stomachoides
• Aristolochia surinamensis
• Aristolochia tagala – Indian Birthwort
• Aristolochia taliscana
• Aristolochia thozetii
• Aristolochia thwaitesii
• Aristolochia tomentosa – Woolly Pipevine, Woolly Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia tricaudata
• Aristolochia trilobata – Bejuco de Santiago, Tref (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Aristolochia tuberosa
• Aristolochia urupaensis – Heart-leaved Aristolochia
• Aristolochia utriformis
• Aristolochia watsonii – Watson's Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia weddellii
• Aristolochia westlandii
• Aristolochia wrightii
• Aristolochia yunnanensis

Formerly placed here

• Abuta amara (as Aristolochia amara)

See also

• Nepenthes aristolochioides, a carnivorous plant with pitchers resembling Aristolochia flowers
• Opodeldoc

Footnotes

References

• American Cancer Society (ACS (2006): Known and Probable Carcinogens (Including Industrial Processes, Occupational Exposures, Infectious Agents, Chemicals, and Radiation). Version of 02/03/2006. Retrieved 2007-NOV-12.
• Grollman, Arthur P.; Shibutani, Shinya; Moriya, Masaaki; Miller, Frederick; Wu, Lin; Moll, Ute; Suzuki, Naomi; Fernandes, Andrea; Rosenquist, Thomas; Medverec, Zvonimir; Jakovina, Krunoslav; Brdar, Branko; Slade, Neda; Turesky; Robert J.; Goodenough, Angela K.; Rieger, Robert; Vukelić, Mato & Jelaković, Bojan (2007): Aristolochic acid and the etiology of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy. PNAS 104(20): 12129-12134. doi:10.1073/pnas.0701248104 PMID 17620607 PDf fulltext Supporting information
• Vandaveer, Chelsie (2002): How did the shape of a flower cause the death of women?. Version of 2002-JAN-10. Retrieved 2007-NOV-12.

External links

• Pictures of Aristolochia chilensis and Aristolochia bridgesii
• http://jollinart.centerblog.net/

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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Aristolochia". Image Credit.

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