LXIII. ^RISTOLOCHIA'CE^ : ^RISTOLO CHIA. 

 ORDER LXIII. ^RISTOLOCHIA^CE^E. 



701 



ORD. CHAR. Perianth superior, 3-cleft, equal or unequal. Stamens definite. 

 Ovarium inferior, many-celled. Style short. Stigma divided. Fruit cap- 

 sular or baccate. Albumen fleshy. (G. Don.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, deciduous ; cordate, entire. Flowers 

 axillary. Twining deciduous shrubs ; natives of North America. 



GENUS I. 



^RISTOLO V CHIA L. 



THE BIRTHWORT. Lin. Syst. Gynandria 

 Hexandria. 



Identification. Schreb. Lin. Gen., No. 1383. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 151. 



Synonymes. Aristoloche, Fr. ; Osterluzey, Ger. 



Derivation. Aristoldchia was the name of a plant mentioned by Dioscorides, and considered as of 



sovereign use in the disorders incident to childbirth : it is derived from ariston, best, and lochia, 



parturition. 



Gen. Char., $c. Calyx of some other colour than green, and in colour and 

 texture resembling a corolla ; in its lowest part connate with the ovary ; 

 inflated above this part, then tubular, and ending in an expanded border, 

 which has 3 segments, and these are valvate in aestivation. Stamens 6, ad- 

 hering to the style and stigmas. Style 1. Stigmas 6, radiating. Capsule 

 with 6 cells and numerous seeds. 



Leaves as in the Order, exstipulate, deciduous. Flowers yellow, brown, 

 dark brown, and, in some, spotted on a yellow ground. Shrubs, twining ; 

 natives of North America; of easy culture in any common soil that 

 is dry. 



J 1. A. SI V PHO L'Herit. The Siphon-like, or Tube-lowered, Birthwort. 



Identification. L'Herit. Stirp. Nov., 13. t. 7. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 155. 



Synonymes. A. macrophylla Lam. Encycl. 1. p. 252. ; Aristoloche Syphon, Fr. ; grossblattrige Os- 

 terluzey, Ger. ; Pipe Vine, or Birthwort, Amer. ; Sifo and Pipa. Ital. 

 Engravings. N. Du Ham., 4. t. 10. ; Bot. Mag., t. 534. ; and om fig. 1373. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Stem twining. Leaves 

 cordate, acute. Bractea of the pe- 

 duncle ovate. Corolla ascending ; 

 its limb in 3 equal portions, not ex- 

 panding flat, brown. (Willd.) A 

 deciduous twining shrub. Alleghany 

 Mountains, from Pennsylvania to 

 Carolina. Stem 15ft. to 30 ft. In- 

 troduced in 1763. Flowers yellowish 

 brown ; May and June. 



Striking from the magnificent ap- 

 pearance of the leaves, and remark- 

 able for the form of its flower, which 

 is bent like a siphon ; for the trifid 

 border of its corolla, and for the very 

 large bractea placed on the middle of 

 the peduncle. The roots are woody, 

 and have the smell of camphor. The 

 stems, branches, and twigs are also 

 strongly scented, as are the flowers. 

 In British gardens, this species, to 

 grow freely, requires a deep free soil, 



