ARISTOLOCHIACEAE 



BIRTHWORT FAMILY 



VIRGINIA SNAKEROOT 



Aristolochia Serpentaria L. 



The Virginia Snakeroot is one of the more curious flowers in 

 this small family. It occurs in rich or dry woods from Con- 

 necticut to Michigan and south to Florida, Louisiana and 

 Missouri. In Illinois it will 

 likely be found only in the 

 south. 



It is a perennial herb 

 with a short underground 

 stem and fibrous aromatic 

 roots that contain a stimu- 

 lant used in medicine. The 

 upright leafy shoot grows 

 10-36 inches high but the 

 flowers are all produced at 

 the base of the plant on 

 short scaly branches, or 

 rarely underground. 



There is no corolla. The calyx is 

 shaped like an S somewhat enlarged at both 

 ends and is grown fast to the ovary. The 

 6 stamens, in 3 pairs, have no filaments and 

 the anthers are attached to the 3-lobed 

 style. The fruit is a dry capsule about 

 one-half inch in diameter and 6-ridged out- 

 side, containing a very large number of small 

 flattened seeds. 



The Woolly Pipe vine, Aristolochia tomen- 

 tosa Sims, is also found in the extreme southern 

 part of the state. It is a woody twining vine 

 which is very hairy. The flowers are shaped very much like an 

 old-fashioned Dutch pipe. The calyx tube, i ^ inches long and sharp- 

 ly curved, is yellowish green except at the 3-lobed, dark purple limb. 

 The 6 anthers are united in pairs beneath the 3 spreading lobes of the 

 stigma. The flowers have a rather unpleasant odor and are pollinated 

 by flies. 



Lilacs have bloomed and faded, and the rose 

 Has dropped its petals, but the clover blows. 

 And fills its slender tubes with honeyed sweets; 



To James Russell Loivell — Oliver Wendell Holmes 



77 



