Aristolochia didyma

Content

Description

Vine; branchlets glabrous, hollow; pseudostipules lacking. Leaves glabrous: petiole twining, 5-8 cm long; blade membranous, triangular, widely cordiform, 8-25 x 6-17 cm, glaucous beneath, apex triangular, acute to acuminate, base deeply cordate with acute sinus, margin undulate; lateral veins marginal at base. Flowers axillary, solitary; pedicel thin, 5-8 cm long (up to 11 cm in Black 47-2159, Para, Brazil), glabrous; ovary ± 2 cm long (up to 6 cm in Black 47-2159); perianth yellow green outside, glabrous; utricle ovoid, 3-4 x 5-6 cm, black spotted; tube cylindric, about 3 x 1-1.5 cm; superior lobe with margin usually shortly violet-fimbriate, purple veined, 4-5 cm long, 2-fid, each lobule about 2.5 x 1 cm, apex rounded, inferior lobe 1.5-2 cm long, throat yellow. Fruit unknown.

Distribution

Amazonian Brazil present, French Guiana present, Southern America: Bolivia (Bolivia present); Brazil Southeast (Espirito Santo present); Colombia (Colombia present); Peru (Peru present); Venezuela (Venezuela present)

Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Peru, Amazonian Brazil (+1 collection from Espirito Santo), Bolivia; 10 collections studied (FG: 4).

Citation

S. Moore 1915 – In: J. Bot.: tab. 535, fig. 1

Hoehne 1942 – In: Fl. Brasflica: tab. 101

Notes

In spite of its large, odd looking and rather showy flowers, and of its large distribution area, this species has been very poorly collected, probably because the axillary flowers are inaccessible on this large vine.