| Aristolochia chilensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: | Aristolochia |
| Species: | A. chilensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aristolochia chilensis Bridges ex Lindl. | |
Aristolochia chilensis, known locally as orejas de zorro (fox ears), is a herbaceous perennial plant native to Chile.
A. chilensis is a perennial vine whose stalks can grow to about 1 meter (3.3 ft) in length. [1] The climbing stalks have boomerang-shaped alternate leaves. [2] [3] The flowers may be yellowish or brownish-purple in color, and emit an unpleasant odor that attracts the flies which pollinate it. Retorse (downward-pointing) hairs on the flower, similar to those of pitcher plants, impede the departure of the flies. [1] Once trapped within the utricule (a sac-like structure of the flower), pollen from the stamens is deposited on the flies; pollen they brought with them is deposited on the stigmata as they enter. Within the flower, they are sustained by nectaries for a day, while the stamens ripen and the flower withers. This releases tension in the retorse hairs and frees the flies. [3] The flower usually grows between 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall with the scrambling vines growing to about 1 meter (3 feet). [1]
Members of the genus Aristolochia are known for fly pollination and are similar to pitcher plants and flytraps. The main difference is that those plants digest the insects for nutrients, while the Aristolochia use them mainly for pollination. [3] Every part of the plant is also poisonous if ingested by humans or animals. Caterpillars and the swallowtail butterfly actually feed on the leaves, flowers, and shoots of the plant. Caterpillars can especially tolerate the acids contained within the plant and, in turn, cause them to become poisonous to predators. The plant is also zygomorphic and usually has foetid flowers to attract pollinators (flies) while repelling predators. The aroma of the flower especially helps with its survival. [3]
This plant is only native to Chile and is found in low-altitude valleys and coastal mountains. They tend to be found in coastal areas from 0–500 meters and mountains from 500 to 2000 meters in altitude. They thrive in very dry areas with little to no rainfall and can tolerate droughts. They also thrive on full exposure to sunlight and grow only on level or northern-facing slopes. The plant can not handle snow but can tolerate brief freezing spells of approximately −5 °C, the approximate temperature of the morning frost in Chile. They also need adequate drainage to mature properly. [4]
Aristolochia chilensis, like the related Aristolochia bridgesii , is a larval food source for the gold rim swallowtail butterfly, Battus polydamas . [1]
Aristolochia chilensis has ornamental and medicinal value [4] and has also yielded the new 4-aryltetralone (−)-aristotetralone. [5] Being in the family Aristolociaceae, Aristolochia chilensis contain aristolochic acid. This has typically been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with ailments from mouth ulcers to arthritis. However, the use of this acid for medicinal purposes has been banned in Europe since 2001 and in China in 2003 due to studies showing that the acids are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and nephrotoxic, thus causing much more harm than good. [3] Although they do not smell pleasant, they are often used for groundcovers in xeriscaping.
Lapageria is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, Lapageria rosea, commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue. Lapageria rosea is endemic to Chile and it is the national flower of this country. It grows in forests in the southern part of Chile, being part of the Valdivian temperate rainforests ecoregion flora.
The Aristolochiaceae are a family, the birthwort family, of flowering plants with seven genera and about 400 known species belonging to the order Piperales. The type genus is Aristolochia L.
Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae. Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A. westlandii, are threatened with extinction.
Plantago lanceolata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on cultivated or disturbed land.
Carrion flowers, also known as corpse flowers or stinking flowers, are mimetic flowers that emit an odor that smells like rotting flesh. Apart from the scent, carrion flowers often display additional characteristics that contribute to the mimesis of a decaying corpse. These include their specific coloration, the presence of setae and orifice-like flower architecture. Carrion flowers attract mostly scavenging flies and beetles as pollinators. Some species may trap the insects temporarily to ensure the gathering and transfer of pollen.
Arum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western and central Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. Frequently called arum lilies, they are not closely related to the true lilies Lilium. Plants in closely related Zantedeschia are also called "arum lilies".
Aristolochia californica, the California pipevine, California Dutchman's-pipe, or California snakeroot is a perennial woody vine of western North America.
Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties. While enthusiasts have led citizen efforts to conserve pipevine swallowtails in their neighborhoods on the West coast, the butterfly has not been the subject of a formal program in conservation or protected in legislation. The butterfly is however of "Special Concern" in Michigan, which is on the Northern limit of its range.
Asclepias asperula, commonly called antelope horns milkweed or spider milkweed, is a species of milkweed native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Aristolochia littoralis, the calico flower or مورپنکھ بیل or elegant Dutchman's pipe, is a species of evergreen vine belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae.
Aristolochia rotunda, commonly known as smearwort or round-leaved birthwort, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to Southern Europe.
Aristolochia gigantea, the Brazilian Dutchman's pipe or giant pelican flower, is an ornamental plant native to Brazil. Typical of subtropical Bahia and Minas Gerais vegetation, it is a vigorous evergreen climber (vine) with heart-shaped leaves and spectacular fragrant flowers. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. A. gigantea and other tropical Dutchman's pipe varieties pose a threat to the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly confuses A. gigantea with its native host plant and will lay eggs on it although pipevine swallowtail caterpillars cannot survive on the foliage.
Zizia aurea is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the carrot family Apiaceae. It is native to eastern Canada and the United States, from the eastern Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast. The genus is named for Johann Baptist Ziz, a German botanist. The common name is based on the similarity to alexanders, another member of the carrot family from coastal areas in Europe and Northern Africa.
Aristolochia grandiflora, the pelican flower, is a deciduous vine with one of the world's largest flowers that emits an odor that smells like rotting meat, attracting flies.
Cressida cressida, the clearwing swallowtail or big greasy, is a Troidine swallowtail butterfly found in northern Australia, New Guinea, Maluku, and Timor. It is in the monotypic genus Cressida.
Veronica salicifolia, synonym Hebe salicifolia, the koromiko, or willow-leaf hebe, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae, which is found throughout the South Island of New Zealand and in Chile. It is a large, evergreen shrub, reaching 2 m in height, with light-green, spear-shaped leaves that are up to 12 cm long, and white or pale lilac flowers.
Actaea elata is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name tall bugbane. It is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it can be found in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
Aristolochia watsonii is a perennial plant in the birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae), found growing among plants of the Arizona Uplands in the Sonoran Desert. The plant is inconspicuous, small and hard to spot, but can be found by following the pipevine swallowtail which lays eggs on it.
Aristolochia macrophylla, Dutchman's pipe or pipevine, is a perennial vine native to the eastern United States. A. macrophylla belongs to the plant family Aristolochiaceae and is found primarily along the Cumberland Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains in the eastern portion of the United States, as well as Ontario, Canada. This species of plant has received considerable attention in the past few decades for the discovery of a potent compound called aristolochic acid, which has been the focus of debate due its harmful side effects.
Aristolochia paucinervis is a herbaceous plant in the family Aristolochiaceae endemic to the western Mediterranean Basin.