ARISTOLOCHIA CLEMATITIS.
WORT.
COMMON BIRTHARISTOLOCHIA
Clematitis ; foliis cordatis, caule erecto, floribus axillaribus confertis.
ARISTOLOCHIA Clematitis. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1364. Huds. Angl.p. 394. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4.
ml. 2. p. 354. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. ml. 1. P . i l . p . 184. (Ed. FI. Dan.t. 1235.
Willd. Sp. PI. ml. 4. p. 163. Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 349. Fl. Gall.
Syn.p. 189. Smith Fl. B r it.p . 947. Engl. Bot. t. 398. Woodville Med. Bot>
Suppl, t. 238. Pers. Syn. P i. ml. 2. p. SIT. Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. ml. 5.p. 228.
ARISTOLOCHIA foliis cordatis, caule erecto, floribus axillaribus, confertis. Hall. Hclv. n. * 1029.
Bohem. Wlkowe jablko. Dan. Staadexvortens Huulrod. Dut. Dunne Osterlucie. Fr. L ’Aristoloche
Clématite. Germ. Die Gemeine Osterluzy. Hung. Farkas-alma. It. Aristolochia clema-
tide. Pol. Kokornak. Port. Aristolochia ordinaria, Russ. Kirkaszon. Span. Aristolochie
Clématite. Swed. Stor Hâllrot.
Class a nd Ord e r . GYNANDRIA HEXANDRIA.
[Natural Ord e r . ARISTOLOCHLE, Juss., Decand., Brown, Hook.]
Cha r. Or d in is . Perianthium superuml Stamina definita. Germen pluriloculare, loculis polyspermis. Stylus
brevissimus. Stigma stellatim divisum. Pericarpium capsulare vel baccatum. Semina numerosa. Albumen
dense carnosum. Embryo minutus, indivisus, in regione umbilici, albumine inclusus. Br.
Character of th e Ord e r . Perianth superior. Stamens of a definite number. Germen many-celled, the
cells many-seeded. Style very short. Stigma divided in a stellated manner. Pericarp, a capsule or a berry.
Seeds numerous. Albumen thick, fleshy. Embryo small, undivided, included in the albumen towards the hilum.
Ge n . Cha r. Perianthium coloratum, tubulosum, basi ventricosum, apice dilatatum, in ligulam extensurn. An-
therez sex, subsessiles, sub stigmate. Stylus vix nullus. Stigma sexpartitum. Capsula sexlocula'ris.
Gen . Ch a r . Perianth petaloid, tubular, ventricose a t the base, spreading towards the extremity, where it is
prolonged into a ligule. Anthers six, nearly sessile, situated beneath the stigma. Style hardlv any. Stigma
six-cleft. Capsule six-celled. J 6
Radix perennis, crassa, lignosa, repens, fibrosa, fusca.
Caulis pedalis vel bipedalis, erectus, flexuosus, subge-
niculatus, glaber, striatus, viridis, basi rufescens,
denudatus.
Folia alterna, distantia, cordàta, obtusa, undulata, glabra,
reticulatim venosa, integerrima, flavo-viridia,
subtus pallidiora.
F lores axillares, conferti, pedicellati, ereeto-patentes,
flavi.
Pe r ia n th ium superum, pelaloideum, monophyllum,
tubulosum, basi insigniter ventricosum, medio
constrictum, atque intus pilis rufis adspersum^
dilatatum, apice in ligulam convexo-concavam,
ad extremum incurvam, intus lineatam, extensurn.
Stamina sex, pistilio sub stigmate inserta, lateralia,
ovato-rotundata : Filamenta nulla : Antheræ
sessiles, didymæ, fulvæ, biloculares, loculis lon-
gitudinaliterdehisCentibus : Pollenminutissimum,
subsphæricum, pellucidum.
PlSTlLLUM : Germen inferum, oblongum, striis sex ele-
vatis : Stylus crassus, albus, antheriferus : Stigma
planum, sex-radiatum, margine dentibus sex, latis,
obtusis, erectis.
P erica rpium (capsula) oblongo-ovatum, sublonge pe-
dunculatum, nutans, sulcis sex longitudinalibus,
sexloculare, polyspermum.
Semina numerosa in singulo loculo, seriatim disposita,
angulo interiori affixa, triangularia, compressa,
margine lato incrassato.
Root perennial, stout, woody, creeping, fibrous, brown.
Stem one or two feet in height, erect, flexuose, somewhat
geniculated, glabrous, striated, green, reddish
and naked towards the base.
L eaves alternate, distantly placed, heart-shaped, obtuse,
waved, glabrous, reticulated with veins, entire,
yellowish-green, of a paler colour beneath.
Flowers springing from the axils of the leaves, crowded,
borne upon footstalks, erecto-patent, yellow.
P e r ia n t h superior, petaloid, of one piece, tubular,
much swoln a t the base, narrowed towards the
middle, and sprinkled internally with red hairs,
dilated, extended at the extremity into a convexo-
concave ligule, which is curved a t the extremity,
streaked within.
Stamens six, inserted upon the pistil beneath the stigma,
lateral, between ovate and round : Filaments
none: Anthers sessile, didymous, of a tawny hue,
two-celled, the cells opening lengthwise : Pollen
extremely minute, nearly spherical, transparent.
P i s t il : Germen inferior, oblong, with six elevated
striae : the Style thick, white, bearing the anthers:
the Stigma plane, with six rays, at the margin
having six broad, obtuse, erect teeth.
Se ed -vessel (a capsule) oblongo-ovate, borne upon a
rather long footstalk, drooping, marked with six
longitudinal furrows, six-celled, many-seeded.
Se eds numerous in each cell, disposed in a regular series,
affixed to the internal angle, triangular, compressed,
with the margin broad and thickened.
Fig. 4. Pollen.
—fplf • Flower. Fig. 2. Portion of the same, showing the column of fructification. Fig. 3. Anther.
Fig. 5. Capsule. Fig. 6. Pericarp cut through transversely to show the cells and seeds. ËH
magnified.
Fig. 7. Seed.:—all
T h fi7 7 r / .....“ — ----w. auu Uic u. in e first of these genera is numerous in species, but they are chiefly natives of other countries, the subject of the
present plate being the only one which is found in Britain. Even the right of this individual to be considered indigenous,
has been a matter of question. Ray did not venture to include it in his Synopsis Stirpium Britannicarum;
and when it is remembered that this plant has been long employed medicinally, and that its places of growth are
usually usually - .with with - us us . among among v ruins . ....................— or near towns, it must be be allowed allowed that that its its original nrimnal introduction intrndnrtinn into intn this thio country »nimini by
i„.
those who cultivated
those who cultivated it, is by no means an improbable circumstance. Mr. Turner, in his accurate and useful Bo-
Guide, enumerates, as stations for this plant, a wood two miles from Thorndon, Essex; at Milton and I
Whittlesiord, Cambridgeshire; a hedge near Windsor; near Maidstone, and other parts of Kent; among the ruins
oo f Caarriiooww AAbbbbeeyy,, NNoorrwwiicchh;; SSttuurrssttoonn,, nneeaarr DDiissss,, SSuuffffoollkk;; nneeaarr KKeennccoott aanndd GGooddssttoonn NNuunnnneerryy,, vO/xxfjourrdusshmirree,,
irom which last, place the specimens here represented were kindly sent to us by J. E. Bicheno, Esq. Wherever
roots ant ° nCG ^6lS i*P !| set^ec*>11 very difficult to succeed in eradicating it, as it increases fast by its creeping
Various species of this genus have been used as medicine. The A. serpentaria of North America, as its name
implies, has been considered a specific against the bite of serpents and of mad dogs. The A. rotunda and lon<ra
also hold a place m some Pharmacopoeias, as does likewise our A. Clematitis. They all yield an intense bitter,
wi a considerable degree o f acrimony, and as a warm stimulating medicine they have been found useful; but thé
commendations of their properties in the treatment of those disorders which have given origin to the generic name
a“d gravida, or puerperium) are now considered to be but ill founded,
ih e embryo, probably from the circumstance o f the seeds which I have examined being always imperfect, I have
never, in this species, been able to discover. Brown observes that it is undivided, at least before germination takes
p ace,_ and notices-its affinity with some monocotyledonous genera, especially Dioscorea, the yam; in its fruit
ewise he thinks it similar to Tacea. Jussieu has distinguished the cotyledons at the time of germinating, and
es on aines has found the internal organization of the stem to coincide with that of the other dicotyledonous plants,
is p ant flowers in July and August, and produces its seldom fully perfect capsules in September.