54 GYNANDRIA— HEXANDRIA. Aristolochia. 



Perennial, herbaceous or shrubby, erect, or more generally 

 climbing. Leaves alternate, stalked, simple, very seldom 

 lobed, usually heart-shaped. Fl. axillary, stalked. The 

 analogy o^ Asaruni^ v. 2. 242, must justify us in calling a 

 calyx what Linnaeus and others have taken for a corolla. 



1 . A. Clematitis. Common Birthwort. 



Leaves heart-shaped. Stem erect. Flowers aggregate, up- 

 right. Calyx unilateral. 



A. Clematitis. Linn. Sp.PlAZU. Willd. v.4. ]63. FLBr.947. 

 Engl. Bot. v.6.t. 398. Willd. suppl. t. 238. Mill. Illustr. t. 75. 

 Hook. Lond.t.\49. Dicks.Dr.PUA. Bull. Fr. t. 39. FL Dan. 

 1. 1235. Lob. Ic. 607./. 



A. n. 1029. Hall. Hist. v. 1.240. 



A. Clematitis recta. Bauh. Pin. 307. Mill. Ic. 34. t.bl.f.l. 



A. Clematitis vulgaris. Clus. Hist. v. 2. 71 ./ 



A. multiflora. Riv. Monop. Irr. t.116. 



A. longa. Trag. Hist. 178./. Maith. Valgr. v. 2. 13./. Dalech. 

 Hist. 977./. 



A. longa vulgaris. Camer. Epit. 42\.f. Besl. Hort. Eyst. cesiiv. 

 Old. 4. t. 3./ 2. 



A. rotunda. Fuchs. Hist. 90./. 



A Saracenica. Ger. Em. 847./. Dalech. Hist. 979. 



In woods, thickets, and especially among the ruins of nunneries. 



In a wood two miles from Thorndon, Essex ; also in Cambridge- 

 shire. Blackstone. Near Maidstone, and in other parts of Kent. 

 Huds. At Godstow nunnery. Sibth. Sturston, near Diss. Mr. 

 Woodward. Carrow abbey, near Norwich. Rev. Dr. Sutton. 

 Kencot, Oxfordshire. Bishop of Carlisle. 

 Perennial. July, August. 



Roots creeping deep in the ground, long, slender, difficult of extir- 

 pation. Herb smooth, bright green. Stems about 2 feet high, 

 upright, zigzag, not climbing, round, leafy, striated, unbranch- 

 ed. Leaves rather coriaceous, without stipulas, heart-shaped 

 with a wide space at the base, entire, with pedate ribs. Fl. 

 several from the bosom of each leaf, on simple stalks, erect, 

 pale yellow, or buff-coloured, without scent, scarcely perfecting 

 any fruit, except by the assistance of some small insect j see 

 Introd. to Botany, ed. 5. 273. 

 The bitter acrid roots of this genus have, from remote antiquity, 

 been celebrated for their stimulating effects on the female con- 

 stitution ; and the present species, though dangerously emetic, 

 seems to have been greatly in use in this country, still retain- 

 ing a place in our catalogues of medicinal plants, A singular 

 opinion is said to prevail in France, that this Aristolochia, if 

 abundant in vineyards, spoils the quality of the wines. 



