C 4120 ) 



Aristolochia ornithocepiiala. Bird's 

 Head Birth-wort. 



Class and Order. 

 Gynandria Hexandria. 



( Nat. Ord. — Aristolochie^e. ) 



Generic Character. 



Perianthium monophyllum tubulosum basi ventricosum, 

 limbo ligulato-extenso. Anthers sex, stigmatis lateribus 

 adnatae. Stigma subsessile, sex-partitum. Capsula 6-locu- 

 laris, polysperma. 



Specific Name and Character. 



Aristolochia ornithocephala ; volubilis glabra, foliis stipu- 

 lisque reniformi-cordatis, Horibus solitariis maximis, 

 perianth ii tubo reflate obovato globoso, limbo basi 

 brevi cylindraceo bilabiato, labio superiore lanceolato 

 acuto deorsum complicate intus dense piloso, inferiore 

 e basi lineari canaliculato in laminam amplissimam 

 reniformem reticulatam extenso. 



There are few plants which present more striking peculi- 

 arities of form and structure in their blossoms than the 

 various individuals of the Genus to which the present plant 

 belongs. Ninety-two species are enumerated by Steudel 

 in the new edition of his valuable " Nomenclator Botanic us. 

 Amongst them is a peculiar group inhabiting Brazil, which 

 Martius characterizes as having flowers of a remarkably 

 large size, variegated with dark purple brown, with the 

 tube of the perianth obovateor ventricose, the limb tubular 

 at the base, then two-lipped ; the upper lip more or less 

 elongated, channelled, the lower one, from a very con- 

 tracted and channelled or cymbiform base, dilated into a 

 very broad lamina. To this division, besides our plant, 



here 



XVII. o 



