316 
FLOEA OF ADEN. 
XLIV. — ARISTOLOCHIAOE/E. 
Erect or climbing herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire or lobed, 
exstipulate. 
Flowers axillary, solitary or cymose, foetid, hermaphrodite. Perianth 
superior, often produced into a tube above the ovary, equally or unequally 
3-lobed, or unilateral and undivided. Stamens 6 to many, epigynous, 
gynandrous ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary inferior, 
rarely free at the apex, perfectly or imperfectly 3 — 6 -celled,* ovules 
numerous, anatropous, horizontal or pendulous ; style connate into a 
column (gynostemium), free above. 
Capsule indehiscent or septicidal. Seeds often immersed in the 
inner layer of the endocarp, triquetrous or flattened by pressure, albu- 
minous ; raphe sometimes thickened or winged ; testa hard ; embryo small. 
Genera 5 ; species about 200. 
Distribution : — Cosmopolitan, chiefly tropical. 
1. Aristolocliia Linn, 
Shrubs or perennial herbs, prostrate or twining. Leaves alternate, 
entire or lobed, often with a stipule-like leaf of an undeveloped bud in 
the axil. 
Perianth coloured ; tube inflated below, then contracted* hairy within ; 
limb oblique, usually 2-lipped. Stamens 6 (rarely 5 or more than 6), 
ad n ate 1-seriately above the ovary, the filaments or connectives not 
distinguishable from the style ; anthers adnate to the column ; dehiscence 
extrorse. Ovary inferior, more or less perfectly 6-celled (rarely 5- or 4- 
eelled) ; placentas parietal or intruded or conniving and connate in the 
axis ; ovules many, 2-seriate ; style or column short, thick, divided above 
into 3 or 6 (rarely more) obtuse or linear short lobes. 
Capsule lantern-like, septicidally 6- (rarely 5-) valved or splitting 
through the placentas. Seeds usually many, horizontal, often covered 
by the remains of the placentas; albumen fleshy; embryo minute. 
Species about 190. 
Distribution : — Cosmopolitan, but more numerous in warm climates. 
1. Aristolocliia bracteata Retz. Obs. V, 29 ; Duch. in DC. Prodr. 
XV, I, 478 ; Hook. FI. Brit. Ind. V, 75 ; Solereder in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 
X, 441 ; This. -Dyer FI. trop. Afr. VI, 136. 
Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. Encycl. I, 258 ; Klotzsch in Monats- 
ber. Berl. Akad. (1859) 598. 
Aristolochia mauritiana Pers. Enchir. II, 527. 
