186 A FLORA OF MANILA 



the petals. Fruit orange to red when mature, ovoid, 1.5 to 2 em long, 

 quite surrounded by the fleshy calyx except at the apex. (Fl. Filip. pi. Sll.) 

 In dry thickets near Fort McKinley, fl. Feb.-Apr.; widely distributed in 

 the Philippines. Chittagong to Java. 



41. ARISTOLOCHIACEAE (Aristolocbia FAMILY) 



Herbs or shrubs, erect or climbing. Leaves alternate, entire, or 3- 

 to 5-lobed; stipules none. Flowers perfect, small or large, regular or very 

 irregular, terminal, axillary, or lateral, solitary, racemose, or cymose, 

 bracteate or ebracteate. Calyx superior, regular and 3-lobed, or tubular 

 and very irregular. Petals none or very rudimentary. Stamens 6 or 

 more, inserted in a ring around the base of the style, anther-cells opening 

 by dorsal slits. Ovary inferior, 4- t6 6-celled; ovules numerous. Fruit 

 capsular. 



Genera 6, species over 200, in tiiost tropical and in some temperate 

 countries, 2 genera and 6 or 7 species in the Philippines. 



1. ARISTOLOCHIA Linnaeus; 



Usually twining perennial herbs or sometimes shrubby. Leaves entire; 

 petiole usually dilated at the base. Perianth variously colored, the tube 

 inflated at the base then contracted, hairy within,' the limb dilated, obliquely 

 1- or 2-Iipped. Anthers 6> rarely 5, or more. Style short,. 3- to 6-lobed. 

 Capsule septicidally 6-valved or splitting through the placentas. (Greek 

 "best" and "child-birth," from reputed medicinal properties of some species.) 



Species about 180, chiefly tropical, 4 or 6 in the Philippine!*. 



Leaves ovate; flowers racemose, small, narrow 1. A. tagala 



Leaves reniform; flowers solitary, large, broad; cultivated only. 



2. A. eUgam 



1. A. tagala Cham. Timbangan, Mala-ube (Tag.). 



A twining, suffrutescent, nearly glabrous vine. Leaves ovate to oblong-' 

 ovate, 8 to 20 cm long, acuminate, base deeply 'cordate, the sinus broad. 

 Flowers in axillary racemes, the perianth purplish, rather slender, 3 to 3.S 

 cm long, the base inflated, globose, the tube somewhat curved, the mouth 

 oblique. Capsule pendulous, ovoid, obovoid, or oblong-obovoid, 2 to 4 cm 

 long, with a long stipe. (Fl. Filip. pi. lOi,) 



In thickets, Masambong to Fort McKinley, fl. March-October; widely 

 distributed in the Philippines. India and Malaya. 



*2. A. ELEGANS Mast. 



A vine reaching a height of several meters. Leaves reniform, or trian- 

 gular-reniform, up to 7 cm long and 10 cm wide, obtuse, base broadly 

 cordate. Flowers solitary, the tube sharply curved, the lip expanded, 

 concave, ovate-cordate, 6 to 7 cm in diameter, pale, with numerous purple 

 spots. Capsule oblong-cylindric, longitudinally ribbed, 6 to 6 cm long, 

 about^l.5 cm thick. 



Occasionally cultivated for ornamental purposes, fl. Jan.-May. A native 

 of Brazil, of recent introduction here. 



