352 ARISTOLOCHIACE^. [Asarum. 



basilar, cotyledons short, radicle usually next the hilurn. — Distrib. 

 Chiefly trop. ; genera 5 ; species 200. — Affinities. With Nepenthacece 

 and Mafflesiacece. — Properties. Bitter, acrid, sometimes aromatic. 



Calyx campanulate, regularly 3-cleft. Stamens 12 1. Asarum. 



Calyx tubular, mouth oblique. Stamens 6 1*. Aristolochia. 



1. AS 'ARUM, Toumwf. AsARABACCA. 



Perennial herbs. Rootstock stout, branched, woody. Leaves radical. 

 Flower solitary, peduncled, terminal, lurid purple, proterogynous. 

 Perianth campanulate, regular, persistent, 3-lobed. Stamens 12 ; anthers 

 bursting outwards, connective produced. Ovary inferior or ^-inferior, 

 6-celled ; styles 6, tubular, grooved or 2-fid. Fruit coriaceous, bursting 

 irregularly. Seeds boat-shaped, wrinkled on the convex face, with a 

 median winged or fleshy raphe on the other. — Distrib. Europe, N. Asia, 

 Himalaya, IST. America ; species 13. — Etym. doubtful. 



A. europae'um, L. ; pubescent, leaves evergreen reniform. 

 Copses in Wilts, Hereford, Bucks, York, Denbigh, Lancaster; (a denizen, 



Wats.) ; fl. May. — Rootstock creeping, fleshy ; branches and stems short, 

 sending up annually a pair of leaves and 2 large scales. Leaves 2-3 in. 

 diam., dark green, petiole 3-5 in. Scapes from between the leaves, very 

 short, woolly. Perianth \ in., greenish-purple, lobes incurved. Filaments 

 subulate, alternate longer ; connective with a long subulate tip. Styles 

 recurved, stigmas projecting between the anthers. Fruit globose.— Distrib. 

 From Belgium southd., W. Siberia.— Root cathartic, emetic, and sternu- 

 tatory. 



1*. ARISTOLO'CHIA, Tournef. Birthwort. 



Shrubs or perennial herbs, often twining. Leaves cauline ; petioles with 

 dilated bases, having in their axils solitary or racemose proterogynous 

 flowers and often the stipule-like leaf of an undeveloped bud. Perianth 

 coloured, tube inflated at the base, then contracted, hairy inside ; limb 

 dilated, obliquely 1-2-lipped. Anthers 6, rarely 5 or more, adnate in a 

 whorl to the very stout short 6-lobed style. Capsule septicidally 6-valved. 

 — Distrib. Chiefly trop. ; species 160. — Etym. The old Greek name. 



A. Clemati'tis, L. ; glabrous, flowers clustered, lip narrow acute. 

 Kuins, &c, from York southd., rare, not indigenous ; fl June-Sept. — Root- 

 stock creeping, woody. Stems many, erect, simple, angled. Leaves 3-6 in. 

 diam., broadly cordate, obtuse, apiculate, reticulate, glaucous beneath ; 

 auricles rounded, incurved, almost closing the deep sinus. Flmvers 4-8 

 in a cluster ; pedicel very short. Ovary fusiform. Calyx 1 in., yellow ; 

 tube slender, curved, base globose ; lip \ in., oblong or ovate ; throat dilated. 

 Capsule f-1 in., pyriform ; peduncle decurved. Seeds suborbicular, much 

 compressed, granulate, deeply excavated on the ventral face.— Distrib. 

 From Denmark southd., W. Asia. 



