LXIII. ^RISTOLOCHIaYE/E : ^RISTOLO^HIA. 



701 



Order LXIII. ^RISTOLOCHIA^CE^. 



Ord. Char. Perianth superior, 3-cleft, equal or unequal. Stamens definite. 

 ! Ovarium inferior, many-ceiled. Sti/le short. Stigma divided. Fruit cap- 

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



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

 ! axillary. Twining deciduous shrubs ; natives of North America. 



Genus I. 



i 



l_ 



^RISTOLO CHIA L. 



The Birthwort. 

 Hexandria. 



Lin. Si/st. Gynandria 



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



Synoni/mcs. Aristoloche, Fr. ; Osterluzey, Ger. 

 i Dfrivatiun. Aristolochia 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, 

 I parturition. 



j Gen. Char., (^c, Calijx of some other colour than green, and in colour and 



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



I inflated above this part, then tubular, and endin^ij in an expanded border, 



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



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



I with 6 cells and numerous seeds. 



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



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



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



I is dry. 



1 ^ 



A 1. A. si^PHO Utierit. The Siphon-/iA-e, or Tubc-Jlowered, Birthwort. 



Identification. L'Herit. Stirp. Nov., 13. t. 7. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 1.5."i. 



Synomjmes. A. niacropiiylla Xrtwi. Enci/cl. 1. p. 2.52. ; Aristoloche .Sy|)hon, Fr.; grossblattrige Os- 

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

 ' Engravinss. N. Du Ham., 4. t. 10. ; Bot. Mag., t. 534. ; and onr Jig. 1373. 



I Spec. Char,, Sfc. Stem twining. Leaves 



i 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 



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



I troducedin 1763. Flowers yellowish 



brown ; May and June. 



t 



j Striking from the magnificent ap- 

 Jpearance 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 

 idle peduncle. The roots are woody, 



and have the smell of camphor. The 



stems, branches, and twigs are also 



strongly scented, as are the flowers. 



hi British gardens, this species, to 



grow freely, requires a deep free soil, 1373. a. sipho. 



