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Useful Tropical Plants

Aristolochia bracteolata

Lam.

Aristolochiaceae

+ Synonyms

Aristolochia bracteata Retz.

Common Name:

Aristolochia bracteolata
Young plant growing in a herbal garden in southern India
Photograph by: Thamizhpparithi Maari
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Aristolochia bracteolata Aristolochia bracteolata

General Information

Aristolochia bracteolata is a perennial, or rarely annual, mostly prostrate but occasionally climbing or suberect, unpleasantly smelling herb growing from 10 - 60 cm long[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
,
1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is usually gathered from the wild and is used locally in traditional medicine. It is sometimes cultivated for medicinal use in India.

Known Hazards

The plant contains aristolochic acid and is poisonous to mammals[
1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Botanical References

1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

Africa - sub-Saharan regions from Mali to Somalia, through the Arabian Peninsula to India.

Habitat

Banks of rivers in India[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
]. Acacia-Commiphora bushland, Acacia desert grassland by dry sand-rivers with scattered Acacia tortilis, scrub, on sandy or lava soils at elevations of 220 - 900 metres in east Africa[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *  *
HabitClimber
Height0.30 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier tropics and subtropics, usually growing where there is a distinct dry season.

The flowers of many species in this genus form an intricate trap for pollinating insects. The insects are tempted to an area of the flower where they are unable to grip and they slide down into the utricle - downward pointing hairs prevent them climbing out[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The trap helps to ensure the fertilization of the flowers and the insects are eventually released[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The whole plant is very bitter and has abortifacient, alterative, anthelmintic, antiperiodic, emmenagogue and purgative properties[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It should be used with great caution since the plant can be toxic to mammals.
The stem and the root contain the alkaloid aristolochic acid[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
].
The dried, powdered root has been shown to increase the contractions of the uterus during labour[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
]. It has been used as a substitute for ergot[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
].

The dried and powdered leaves, mixed with oil or blood, are emetic[
1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. They are used to treat breast diseases and arealso applied topically to kill lice and ticks[
1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The leaves and roots are used to rid the body of Guinea worm (a parasitic infection caused by a nematode)[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

The powdered roots are combined with caster oil (from Ricinus communis) and used in the treatment of colic, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, intermittent fever and worms[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
].
Externally, its juice is applied to foul and neglected ulcers to destroy insect larvae[
304
Title
Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
Kapoor. L. D.
Publisher
CRC Press, Florida.
Year
2001
ISBN
0-8493-2929-9
Description
A very detailed book on some of the key Ayurvedic herbs, giving both technical and non-technical information on each plant. The whole is very well referenced.
]. It is also used to treat scorpion bites[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
1315
Title
Revision of the genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) in Africa, Madagascar and adjacent islands
Publication
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 219-238
Author
Holger De Groot, Stefan Wanke and Christoph Neinhuis
Publisher
 
Year
2006
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aristolochia+bracteolata>

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