Aristolochia philippinensis (PROSEA)

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Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Aristolochia philippinensis Warb.

Protologue: Perkins, Fragm. fl. Philipp.: 170 (1905).

Vernacular names

• Philippines: barubo (Negrito), puso-pusoan (Tagalog), tambal-balanding (Zambales).

Distribution

The Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Bancalan Island, Mindanao).

Uses

A decoction of the roots is used in traditional medicine in the Philippines as a stomachic and emmenagogue.

Observations

• An erect shrubby plant up to about 1 m tall, with terete old stems up to 4 cm in diameter, slightly irregularly ridged, and slightly striate branches.
• Leaves elliptical, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 8.5-24 cm × 3.5-8.5 cm, obtuse, sometimes slightly cuneate at base, usually glabrous on both surfaces, with 1 pair of faint basal veins, 5-8 pairs of secondary veins and loosely reticulate tertiary veins.
• Flowers in a spicate or racemose inflorescence, perianth 1-lipped, distinctly veined.
• Fruit subglobose, shortly cylindrical to oblong-ellipsoidal, up to 2.5 cm long.
• Seeds not winged.

A. philippinensis occurs in thickets and forest up to 900 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Ding Hou, 1984. Aristolochiaceae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. & de Wilde, W.J.J.O. (General editors): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 10. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, the Netherlands. pp. 53- 108.
• Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

Main genus page

• Aristolochia (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• R. Kiew