What is Aristolochia?

aristolochia is a genus of wooden vineyards and permanent herbs known collectively such as birth, Dutch pipes or pipes. There are about 500 species that grow in very diverse climate around the world, although no species come from Australia. Many species are grown for their magnificent flowers, which often grow in a curved shape of a pipe. Different types were used to treat diseases, including snakes, fever and malaria. Other healing uses include weight loss, parasitic worms and assistance to the woman has excluded the placenta after birth. Many cases of kidney failure and death were associated with drugs with aristolochia . a. Rotunda or Smearwort, was locally used to treat chronic ulcers and its leaves are sometimes cooked as food.

Many species of butterflies and moths feed on aristolochia and toxin in the plant makes them undesirable for predators. a. Californica , commonly called the California Dutch tube or California Pipevine, JE Endemic to California and serves as the only source of Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly. Similarly, southern birds and ordinary birds butterflies from South Asia rely on a native and. Indica for their survival. Ordinary birds and conventional rose butterflies also feed on a. Tagala or Indian natives.

a. Grandiflora or Pelican flower is originally from the Caribbean, but was introduced to Florida for the ability to attract butterflies. a. Gigantea , commonly called Brazil Dutchman's pipeline or a giant pelican flower, has one of the most amazing flowers of the genus and is a popular decorative plant. Its gigantic flowers are red spots with yellow center. a. Labiata , commonly called a spotted veneer pipe or tap flower, is another ornamental species origin in Brazil.

one Brazilian species, a. Littoralis , has become an invasive species in the United States. It is commonly called Calico Flower or the elegant Dutchman tube, a. Littoralis attracts a caterpillar of an endangered butterfly species. However, the caterpillar is not modified to withstand the toxin of the flower and is deadly poisoned.

Many aristolochia species are endangered or endangered, including a. Cucurbitifolia , which grows only on Tai -wan. a. Cucurbitoides , a. Delavaya , a. Hainanensis , a. Obliqua , a. and and. a. Westlandii , originally from China and Hong Kong, is critically endangered.