ARISTOLOOHIACE^. 299 



LXXXIII, ARISTOLOCHIACEJ;. 



Flowers apetalous. Calyx coloured. Stamens epigynous : anthers extrorse, often adnate 

 to the style. Ovary paracarjroas, at length 6-3-celled by the many-ovulate placentas cohering 

 in the axis : stigma divided. Mmhryo minute, in the top of fleshy endosperm. — ^Leaves 

 alternate, often cordate. 



Tonic, aromatic, or acrid principles are general, and several West Indian species are, as 

 medical plants, analogous to the North American Serpentaria, e.g. Aristolochia odoratis- 

 sima. A. trilobata is reputed as an antidote against the bite of serpents ; A. grandiflora 

 is poisonous. The majority of West Indian Aristolochia is confined to Cuba and Haiti. 



I. AKISTOLOCHIA, L. 



Calyx-limb irregular, usually unilabiate, inflated-tubular at the base. Anthers 6-5, sub- 

 sessile in the column. Ovary 6-5-ceUed ; style-canal conspicuous : stigma 6-3-16bed. 

 Capsule upwards septicide, — Herbs or shrubs, (ften twining ; stipules axillary or none ; 

 flowers usually axillary and lurid. 



Sect. GvMNOLOBUS, Buchartr. (Howardia, KL). — Column naked, i.e. devoid of transverse 

 appendages : anthers 6, siagle below the 6 stigma-lobes. — Mowers in our species solitary 

 in (he axils. 



* Calyx-limb bilabiate, large. 



1. A. ring^ens, V. Glabrous, twining; leaves reniform, pedatinerved : basilar sinus 

 broadly spreading : stipules cordate-roundish, persistent ; calyx-limb bilabiate, inflexed : 

 base oBovoid, longer than the constricted tube : upper lip linear-oblong, conduplicate, lower 

 somewhat shorter, roundish, contracted into a long claw. — Vahl, Symb. t. 47. — A. grandi- 

 flora, F. (non Sw.). — Leaves 3"-5" diam. ; size ol flower variable : inflated calyx-base l"-2", 

 inflexed tube 8"'-13"', upper subsessile lip 4", lower (the claw included) about 3" long, its 

 lamina 10"'-13"' diam. — Hab. Jamaica 1, Fd. ; [Venezuela !, New Granada !]. 



** Calyx-lip ^gle, peltate. 



2. A. grandiflora, &m. Glabrous or glabrescent, twining ; leaves cordate, pointed, 

 pedatinerved ; basilar sinus open : stipules none ; pedicels long, bracteate about the middle ; 

 calyx-Hmb unilabiate, inflexed, very large : tube oblique, 6-co8tate, 6-gibbous at the base : 

 lip peltate, broadly ovate, irregularly undulate-crenate, entire at the base, produced at the 

 top into a long, ,Jiliform tail.- — Tuss. Fl. 1. t. 27 ; Desc. Fl. 3. t. 157- — A. arborescens, 

 Desc. A. gigas, Lindl. A. foeteiTs, Lindl. — Leaves 3"-5" diam. ; flowers variegated-purple. 

 Very variable in size : lip 8"-4" (-2") long, twice as long as the inflated, erect portion of 

 the tube, the tail a foot to several inches long.' — Hab. Jamaica !, all coll. 



3. A. odoratissima, L. Glabrous, twining ; leaves cordate, pointed, pedatinerved : 

 basilar sinus open : stipules oval, subpersistent ; calyx-limb unilabiate, inflexed above the 

 inflated base : constricted tube-portion short : lip peltate, cordate-oblong, longer than the 

 tube, mucronate. — SI. t. 104./. 1 ; l)esc. Fl. 5. t. 356.— A. glaucescens, Mh. {Nov. Oen. 

 2. t. 115) has the same flower. — Leaves 4"-5" long; inflated base of the calyx-Umb 6"'-8"', 

 cylindrical reflexed portion 6'", lip l^"-24", mucro 2"' long. — Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., Macf., 

 Hist., March; [Panama!, Venezuela!]. 



*** Calyx-lip single, unilateral, distinct from the truncate tube, 



4. £i,.\>ar\>a.tA,Jacq. Stem twining, glabrescent ; leaves cordate-oblong, bluntish, pe- 

 datinerved, puberulous beneath : basilar sinus open : stipules none ; calyx-limb incurved, 

 infundibular above, abruptly unilabiate at its truncate month : lip short, roundish, con- 

 tracted at the base, devoid of a terminal appendage, internally pilose above the middle. 

 — Jacq. Ic. Far. t. 608.— Leaves 3" long ; inflated base of the calyx-limb 8'", upper portion 

 of the tube 12'" long, lip 6"' diam. : tube purple-variegated, enlarged from the middle, 



.8"'-10"' diam. at its mouth: lip black at the pilose part. — Hab. Trinidad !, Cr., at S. 

 Anns ; [Venezuela]. 



5. A. trilobata, L. Stem twining, glabrescent ; leaves S-lobed, truncate or subctfr- 



