ARISTOLOCHIA CLEMATITIS.
WORT.
COMMON BIRTHARISTOLOCHIA
Clematitis ; foliis cordatis, caule erecto, floribus axillaribus confertis.
ARISTOLOCHIA Clematitis. Linn. Sp. P l. p. 1364. Huds. A ngl.p. 394. W ith . Bot. A it . ed. 4.
ml. 2. p. 354. Hqffm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . II. p.']84. OEd. Fl. Da n .t. 1235.
JVïlld. Sp. PL vol. 4. p. 163. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. S. vol. 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 l. vol. 2. p. 527. Alton Hort. Ketv. ed. 2. vol. 5.p. 228.
ARISTOLOCHIA foliis cordatis, caule erecto, floribus axillaribus, confertis. Hall. Helv. n. *1029.
Bohem. Wllcowe jablko. Dan. Staadewortens Huulrod. Dut. Dunne Osterlucie. Fr. L ’Aristoloche
Clématite. Germ. Die Gemeine Osterluzy. Hung. Farkas-alma. It. Aristolochia clema-
tide. Pol. Kohornak. Port. Aristolochia ordinaria. Russ. Kirkaszon. Span. Aristolochie
Clématite. Swed. Stor Hâllrot.
Class a n d Or d e r . GYNANDRIA HEXANDRIA.
[Na tu r a l Or d e r . ARISTOLOCHIÆ, J uss., Decand., Broton, Hook.']
Ch a r . O r d in is . Perianthium superum. 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. B r .
Ch a r a c t e r of t h e O r d e r . Perianth superior. Stamens o f 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 . Char. Perianthium coloratum, tubulosum, basi ventricosum, apice dilatatum, in ligulam extensurn. A n th
em sex, subsessiles, sub stigmate. Stylus vix nullus. Stigma sexpartitum. Capsula sexlocularis.
Ge n . 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 hardly any. Stigma
six-cleft. Capsule six-celled.
R a d ix perennis, crassa, lignosa, repens, fibrosa, fusca.
Ca u l is pedalis vel bipedalis, erectus, flexuosus, subge-
niculatus, glaber, striatus, viridis, basi rufescens,
denudatus.
Fo lia alterna,.distantia, cordata, obtusa, undulata, glabra,
reticulatim venosa, integerrima, flavo-viridia,
subtus pallidiora.
Flores axillares, conferti, pedicellati, erecto-patentes,
flavi. /
P e r ia n t h 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.
St am in a sex, pistillo sub stigmate inserta, lateralia,
ovato-rotundata : Filamenta nulla : Antheræ
sessiles, didymæ,- fulvæ, biloculares, loculis lon-
gitudinaliterdehiscentibus: Pollenminutissimum,
subsphæricum, pellucidum.
P istil lum : Germen inferum, oblongum, striis sex ele-
vatis : Stylus crassus, albus,antheriferus : Stigma
planum, sex-radiatum, margine dentibus sex,lads,
obtusis,' erecris.
P e r ic a r p ium (capsula,) oblongo-ovatum, sublonge pe-
dunculatum, nutans, sulcis sex longitudinalibus,
sexloculare, polyspermum.
S em in a numerosa in singulo loculo, seriatim disposita,
angulo interiöri affixa, triangularia, compressa,
margine lato incrassato.
Root perennial, stout, woody, creeping, fibrous, brown.
St em 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, o f a paler colour beneath.
F lowers springing from the axils o f the leaves, crowded,
borne upon footstalks, erecto-patent, yellow.
P e r ia n t h superior, petaloid, o f 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 at the extremity,
streaked within.
Stam en s 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 i l : Germen inferior, oblong, with six elevated
s tr ia : the Style thick, white, bearing the anthers:
the Stigma plane, with six rays, at the margin
having six broad, obtuse, erect teeth.
Se e d -vessel (a capsule) oblongo-ovate, borne upon a
• rather long footstalk, drooping, marked with six
longitudinal furrows, six-celled, many-seeded.
Se ed s 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.
Fig. 1. 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. Fig. 7.
Seed.— all
magnified.
The natural family of Aristolochice is a very small one, comprising but four genera, two of which are British,
Aristolochia and Asarum, and two are foreign, the Bragantia of Loureiro and the Cytinus of the south of Europe.
The 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 with us among ruins or near towns, it must be allowed that its original introduction into this country by
those who cultivated it, is by no means an improbable circumstance. Mr. Turner, in his accurate and useful Botanist’s
Guide, enumerates, as stations for this plant, a wood two miles from Thorndon, Essex; at Milton and
Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire; a hedge near W indsor; near Maidstone, and other parts of K en t; among the ruins
of Carrow Abbey, Norwich; Sturston, near Diss, Suffolk; near KenGOt and Godston Nunnery, Oxfordshire,
from which last place the specimens here represented were kindly sent to us by J. E. Bicheno, Esq. Wherever
this plant ohee gets fairly settled, it is very difficult to succeed in eradicating it, as it increases fast by its creeping
roots.
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 long a
also hold a place in some Pharmacopoeias, as does likewise our A . Clematitis. They all yield an intense bitter,
with a considerable degree of acrimony, and as a warm stimulating medicine they have been found useful; ^ but the
commendations of their properties in the treatment of those disorders which have given origin to the generic name
(«f/errof, and Xo%og gravida, or ;\o%ia puerperium) are now considered to be but ill founded.
The embryo, probably from the circumstance of 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
place, and notices its affinity with some monocotyledonous genera, especially Dioscorea, the yam; in its fruit
likewise he thinks it similar to Tacea. Jussieu has distinguished the cotyledons at the time of germinating, and
Desfontaines has found the internal organization of the stem to coincide with that of the other dicotyledonous plants.
This plant flowers in July and August, and produces its seldom fully perfect capsules in September.