Aristolochia rotunda


Birthwort                                                                                          Άγρια μολόχα


Aristolochiaecae - birthwort family                                                                  Dicot.

 
 
  1. A. rotunda is a curious plant with flowers adapted to catch flies. The tubular flowers protogynous i.e. the female form develops prior to the male form and the style ceases to be receptive before the flower produces it's own pollen. This means that the flower must be pollinated by another flower of the same species. During the female stage, the flowers produce the smell of freshly dead bugs (Heteroptera), which is almost undetectable to humans. The aroma attract flies (Diptera), which carry pollen of other flowers of the same species, a system known as "the deceptive pollination syndrome".1

  2. The common English term for the plant, birthwort, refers to its traditional use to aid childbirth although it is poisonous in large doses.


  3. 1. Oelschlägel, Nuss, v. Tschirnhaus, et.al., Smelling like dead insects: Pollination biology of Aristolochia rotunda. 

  BOTANY 2013.

 

4-6cm 20-50cm                                                                         JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC


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