Aristolochia rumphii
Content
Description
Climber.
Leaves thin-chartaceous, oblong, elliptic-oblong, ovate-oblong, narrow-lanceolate, 7-12.5 by (1-) 3-5.5 cm;
Inflorescences in axils of foliage leaves, usually very short, sometimes up to c. 5 cm long, racemiform and with distinct internodes;
Stamens 6;
Capsules short cylindric, c. 2.2 by 1.5 cm, 6-ridged.
Seeds triangular, 5 by 5-5.5 mm, verrucose on both surfaces, not winged.
Distribution
Ambon present, Asia-Tropical: Lesser Sunda Is. present; Maluku (Maluku present), Flores present, Kai and Tenimber Is present, Kajuadi Is present, Pangkadjene present, SW. Celebes present, Sumba present, Timor present, halfway Flores present
Malesia: SW. Celebes (Pangkadjene), Kajuadi Is. (halfway Flores), Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumba, Flores, Timor), Moluccas (Ambon, not seen; Kai and Tenimber Is.).
Uses
A decoction of a piece of the root or of small twigs (less powerful than root) is used to treat stomach-ache, spasm and constipation, and also intermittent fever. On trips travellers often take a piece of root or lowest part of a stem about the length of a finger and drink the decoction from it as tea (RUM-PHIUS, l.c.; HEYNE, l.c.; PERRY, l.c.).
Notes
One fertile specimen, collected on a hill above Endeh (Flores) by Father J.J. LOETERS (n. 2092, L) has one flower and one fruit which match those of the present species, though its leaves are very narrow, c. 1 cm wide ().
A. rumphii is closely allied to A. indica from Southeast Asia (mainly Ceylon and India), similar in leaf characters and a 1-lipped perianth with a distinct stipe-like base. It can be distinguished from A. indica by the few-flowered inflorescences with distinct in-ternodes, a longer pedicel and ovary, up to 3 cm (in A. indica up to 1.5 cm), the longer stipe of the utricle, c. 5 mm (2.5 mm in A. indica), the rather long perianth tube up to 17 mm (against c. 8 mm), smaller capsules, c. 2-3 cm (against 4-5 cm), and immarginate seeds (distinctly winged in A. indica).
A. rumphii is closely allied to A. indica from Southeast Asia (mainly Ceylon and India), similar in leaf characters and a 1-lipped perianth with a distinct stipe-like base. It can be distinguished from A. indica by the few-flowered inflorescences with distinct in-ternodes, a longer pedicel and ovary, up to 3 cm (in A. indica up to 1.5 cm), the longer stipe of the utricle, c. 5 mm (2.5 mm in A. indica), the rather long perianth tube up to 17 mm (against c. 8 mm), smaller capsules, c. 2-3 cm (against 4-5 cm), and immarginate seeds (distinctly winged in A. indica).