Herbaceous organ. Photo close-up of artistolochia flower (Dutchman’s Pipe), Finca Cantaros, San Vito, Costa Rica.

© Harry Hull III and Mandalagraphs.com, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of photographs and other material on this blog/website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Harry Hull III and Mandalagraphs.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Cluster of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Cherokee, North Carolina, USA, July 2010

It is unusual and a special treat to see clusters of any type of butterflies in one’s life.  The photographs in this article are those that I took in July 2010 in Cherokee, North Carolina of clusters of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies (Battus philenor).  These butterflies were gathered at a roadside, obtaining moisture from the dirt and stones after a rain shower.  I drove by them in my travels, and turned around to view and observe them, getting the pictures that I’ve included here. 

Cluster of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies in Cherokee, North Carolina, USA, July 2010

Pipevine Swallowtails are commonly found in North and Central America.  They are especially numerous in North Carolina, with their larvae feeding on plant species of Aristolochia.  These are poisonous plant species, making the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly and it’s larvae poisonous.  Birds and other natural predators leave them alone, and therefore, they thrive, particularly in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

Cluster of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Cherokee, North Carolina, USA, July 2010

Pipevine Swallowtails are black with iridescent dark blue hind wings. The Pipevines are beautiful, fluttery butteflies that really catch one’s eye due to the bright iridescence of their hind wings. Their wingspan is generally about 3″ to 3.5″ in length.  The butterflies and their larvae can be found throughout the summer months, particularly in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Their underwings are black with spots of orange, cream, and blue.

Earlier this year in my Pipevine Dreams post I wrote about the dramatic butterfly and its host plant, the Pipevine (Aristolochia), also known as Dutchman’s Pipe.

Well, George discovered an amazing development in the garden this morning. A hybrid pipevine which he planted along our side fence just bloomed. And we’re not talking slightly different pipes, we’re talking dramatic, four- to five-inch flowers! Taa-daa– a flowering Aristolochia durior x A. elegans.

The colors are stunning ,with the broad flowers a deep maroon speckled with white, and the throats gleaming intense yellow tinged with orange-red. Here you can see the large pipe behind the flower.

This shot shows you how large the flowers are.

George got the starter vine at the University of California Botanical Garden. They’re having their Fall Plant sale on September 30th, and although I don’t know whether they have any of these right now, they always have amazing plants for sale.

What’s special in your garden this week? Any bird, butterflies, or blooms?

La marihuana (Cannabis sp.) ha sido utilizada por el mundo desde hace mas de 4000 anos. En EUA, su consumo medico para tratar dolor crónico, cáncer nausea y falta de apetito en pacientes con SIDA es legal en 16 estados. Pero los obstáculos legales y políticos hacen el estudio clínico de esta planta sumamente difícil para los investigadores. 
Sabemos que fumar marihuana tiene efectos analgésicos. En el 2007 un estudio dio a conocer que pacientes con SIDA con de dolor crónico tenian gran alivio al fumar marihuana por cinco dias consecutivos tres veces al dia.

El fármaco Sativexderivado de la marihuana se vende en forma de spray se administra por vía oral y relaja los músculos de pacientes con esclerosis múltiple, aliviándoles el dolor y espasmos. Saltivex tiene dos compuestos de la marihuana, cannabidiol (CBD) y delta-9-tetrahidro cannabinol (THC) y se puede adquirir mediante receta médica en Nueva Zelanda, Canadá y algunos países europeos. Se espera que próximamente la FDA lo apruebe en EUA.
 En México su uso es mas “abierto” pero personal medico no aconseja al paciente sobre los beneficios de la marihuana. Me pregunto si los pacientes que la necesitan tienen acceso a la marihuana? Quien se las provee? Mas aun, Saben que se pueden beneficiar con el consumo de marihuana y quien regula su uso clínico en México? 

Según Michael Bostwick de la Clínica Mayo “La actitud mundial acerca del uso medico de la marihuana es irracional”  Y creo que tiene razón, es increíble que los institutos nacionales de salud de los EUA apoyen financieramente mas proyectos encaminados a descubrir compuestos dañinos de la marihuana que proyectos que buscan los efectos benéficos.
Claro que no debemos olvidar que muchos de los problemas asociados a la prescripción medica de plantas como la marihuana es que no se administra un solo compuesto sino muchos, todos los que la planta contiene, además estos compuestos varían sus concentraciones si la planta se cosecha en primavera, verano o invierno. Otros compuestos además del THC y CBD podrían aumentar, disminuir o afectar los efectos deseados.
La realidad actual es que en todo el mundo, mucha gente esta haciendo uso de la marihuana ya sea como acto recreativo o para tratar algún padecimiento, y la gran mayoría lo hacen de forma legal. Nos estamos perdiendo de analizar resultados de este gran experimento “natural” …. Bob Grant
También es cierto que el uso popular de plantas como la Aristolochiao Candilesque se recomienda para la artritis, ha causado muertes y cáncer en todo el mundo.
La hierba de San Juan (St. Johns wort) es otro gran ejemplo uso sin conocimiento de la medicina alternativa. Tanto las hojas como las flores amarillas de esta planta se han usado para disminuir la depresión y activar el metabolismo. Sin embargo, esta planta modifica significativamente la actividad del hígado modificando la absorción de los alimentos y medicamentos contra el VIH.
Otra planta muy usada es la kava-kava que produce un efecto similar al cloraseptic pues masticando las hojas se alivia el dolor de garganta. Incluso existe una bebida a base de esta planta Kava Cola que se considera “anti-energy drink” por sus propiedades relajantes. Paradójicamente, el mal uso de esta planta causa presión alta y ataques al corazón.

Finalmente, los productos lácteos fermentados han ganado tanto terreno en nuestras vidas que no podían pasar desapercibidos para la medicina tradicional. Aunque no sabemos como funcionan se cree que microbios como bacterias y levaduras en el yogurt pueden influenciar nuestra salud como absorción de nutrientes, obesidad, integridad de la piel, salud  genito-urinaria e incluso nuestro estado de animo. Estos microbios estimulan la producción de mucosidad en el intestino protegiéndolo de factores externos y de otros microorganismos patógenos.

Los probioticos tienen grandes beneficios, lo triste es que al comer yogurt el intestino no intercambia microbios “buenos” por “malos” sino que simplemente influenciamos nuestra flora intestina y damos oportunidad  que microbios buenos como los del yogurt “trabajen” un ratito en el intestino pero luego se van, no se quedan a vivir con nosotros. Lo que si es que los expertos han descubierto que al consumir productos probioticos el paciente simplemente se siente mejor.
Poco a poco vamos descubriendo que microorganismos en particular son benéficos para la salud (Human Microbiome Project). Por ejemplo, ahora se sabe con mas certeza que Lactobacillus plantarum protege contra colitis (al menos en ratones). Otros padecimientos en los que los prebioticos pueden ayudar al paciente son contra alergias, enfermedades de las encías, enfermedad de Chron’s y salud mental!

En México gran parte de la población ha recurrido al uso de la medicina alternativa o integrativacomo se quiere dar a conocer actualmente. Estas terapias incluyen desde acupuntura, probióticos hasta marihuana y psicodélicos.

Animation of the structure of a section of DNA.

In continuation to last week’s post about the dangers of consuming aristolochic acid, I will add a bit more review on why Aristolochia plants are sometimes misidentified in Chinese medicine. Also, to commemorate DNA day this coming Wednesday, I will discuss the power of DNA sequencing in identifying ingredients, in this particular case, inside Chinese medicine.

(Do you know why April 25^th is DNA day? In 1953, this was the day when the structure of DNA was published in the journal Nature.)

Aristolochic acid is a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) contained in some species of Aristolochia plants. These plants were commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine as anti-inflammatory or diuretic agents until their toxicity became known.

In the early 1990’s, Aristolochia plant was misidentified and widely distributed in Belgium as slimming agents, which led to the development of kidney failure in more than 100 women, many of whom subsequently developed urinary tract cancer.

Why did misidentification of Aristolochia plant happen? For one thing, in traditional Chinese medicine, Aristolochia plant species were thought to be interchangeable, and one species was commonly substituted for another. Also, herbs are traded using Chinese pin yin names, which can be confusing at times. For example, Fang Ji can be the name of Aristolochia fangchi (Aristolochia plant species that contain aristolochic acid) or other herbs, Stephania tetrandra or Coccculus spices. In fact, the herbal weight-loss agent distributed in Belgium between 1990 and 1992 contained Fang Ji, but instead of Stephania tetrandra plant, it contained Aristolochia fangchi.

Structural model of aristolochic acid

Traditional Chinese medicines are complex mixture of ingredients often grounded into powder. As a result, it is extremely difficult to analyze their compositions. To make the matter worse, there are concerns that some medicines may be mislabeled intentionally (to reduce manufacturing cost by including cheaper ingredients or to evade customs check) or even unintentionally (by misidentification of products). Some medicines may contain toxins or endangered species, so that for both safety concerns and biodiversity conservation, new technique must be developed in order to detect ingredients efficiently.

A team of scientists in Australia are doing just that. The team is focusing on high-throughput, next-generation DNA sequencing technique that can identify all of the ingredients inside the medicine simultaneously. This approach contrasts greatly with previous methods which focused on identifying one specific target at a time and which could only detect compounds rather than specific species of plants or animals.

As a trial of their new method, the scientists studied the components of 15 traditional Chinese medicines that were confiscated at the Australian borders by the customs. The result showed that 31% of the samples contained Aristolochia plants (although the scientists note that further study is needed to test for the presence of aristolochic acid). In addition, four of the samples tested contained DNA from endangered animals, revealing that illegal hunting and trafficking of these animals still persist.

Saiga antelope

Shockingly, the study exposed that 78% of the samples were mislabeled; they contained DNA from animals that were not identified on the labels. For example, one product claiming to be made from 100% pure Saiga antelope horn powder (which, by the way, is illegal to trade as the animal is critically endangered) also contained significant amounts of goat and sheep DNA. The scientists who conducted the study warn the consumers to be cautious.

To be fair, the samples in the study were suspicious to begin with and that is why they were seized by the customs in the first place. To repeat the introduction of last week’s post, traditional Chinese medicines have been used for thousands of years and their effectiveness is getting international attention. In addition, many of the traditional Chinese medicines are well studied, owing to universities and other institutions dedicated to studying such medicines. Therefore, I want to emphasize that the majority of the traditional Chinese medicine on the market today are probably safe and legal. With that being said, it is still a good practice for consumers to know the origins of their medications and judge whether the source can be trustworthy.

I hope you found this post useful. See you next week!

PS: For readers who are interested in learning more about aristolochic acid, you can find more information on the document provided by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which also lists the species of Aristolochia plants that contain aristolochic acid.

References:
Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids
Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids
Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate
Deep Sequencing of Plant and Animal DNA Contained within Traditional Chinese Medicines Reveals Legality Issues and Health Safety Concerns
PLANTS CONTAINING ARISTOLOCHIC ACID

HortPark 20120402

Aristolochia gigantea, Brazilian Dutchman’s Pipe, Giant Pelican Flower, is an ornamental plant native to Brazil.

HortPark 20120402

Aggressive Vine. The Aristolochia gigantea will inspire a sense of marvel to anyone who gazes upon it. This truly spectacular blossom produces a pouch that is almost 2 feet long and more than a foot across. Ivory veins network across a burgundy velvet background as the flower unfurls.

The flowers of most Aristolochia species looks like rotting meat and emit an odor to attract flies which act as pollinator. The Aristolochia gigantea is the host plant for the Common Rose butterfly.

I got more detail photos of this Aristolochia species I posted on previously. Here are better shots of the seed pod, leaf and flower. One reader suggested it might be A. taliscana. Any verifications would be greatly appreciated…

If you’re interested, here’s a link to previous posts on other Aristolochia species…

Click photos below to enlarge.

Herbal supplements (Photo credit: Ano Lobb. @healthyrx)

A popular herbal supplement, Aristolochia, commonly sold as birthwort has recently been linked to kidney failure and kidney and bladder cancer.  This herb is commonly prescribed in Taiwan as part of traditional medicine and it was recently observed that nearly 12% of that country’s population suffers from chronic kidney disease.  Now the herb has been conclusively associated with these diseases through gene analysis.

This herb is not marketed in the U.S. since 1994 following FDA warnings. Since cancer may take years to develop, it still may be a causative substance even since it’s ban. In the case of supplements, manufacturers must ensure safety, efficacy, and proper labeling but this regulation does not appear to be enforced. Due to the passage of a supplement law, Congress may be allowing similar problems to occur in the U.S. by not requiring “natural” substances such as some herbs to be labeled for safety and effectiveness, as they should be.  In 2009, the U.S. Public Health Service added aristolochic acid to the list of human carcinogens. But how many other “birthworts” are out there?

Another supplement toxic alert involved only two young soldiers who died suddenly from heart attacks during workouts, having taken two products called “Jack3d” and “Oxyelite PRO  that contain the unregulated amphetamine- like dimethylamylamine, DMAA as the suspected cause. Since then, these two supplements were banned from military bases.  However, you can still buy these products at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe as well as bodybuilding websites.

Two-thirds of all Americans take some sort of dietary supplement and Americans spent about $11.8 billion on vitamins and minerals in 2010. While medications undergo safety and efficacy testing in order to receive approval by the FDA for release to market, dietary supplements do not. The 1994’s Hatch – Harkin Act, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), was passed by Congress and subsequently released potentially harmful substances into the marketplace under the guise of “dietary supplements” many of which have not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness.

Supplements made from products available on the U.S. market prior to 1994 can be sold with no agency review, including a wide variety currently available. Sellers of products containing substances unavailable prior to 1994 need only advise the FDA and do not require approval to be sold

There have been approximately 51,000 new ingredients brought to market since DSHEA passed, of which about 0.3% or 170 out of 51,000 have documented safety tests.  Any claims made by the manufacturer is accompanied by “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”.

Weight Loss Products

Not only may some supplements may be downright dangerous, others such as some OTC weight loss products just plain don’t work.  Most of these products have never been tested for safety or efficacy.  Ephedra was the ingredient in many of these products that is now banned by the U.S. government since it caused serious health problems and in some cases deaths. Many supplements have been revised to include non-ephedra ingredients but are similar to ephedra and still may be dangerous.  From the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter:

• 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).. 5-HTP has not been proven to effectively promote weight loss and is under constant scrutiny for safety. In larger doses, 5-HTP may have a negative effect on the liver.
• Chitosan (KITE-o-san). This dietary supplement is made from chitin, a starch found in the skeleton of shrimp, crab, and other shellfish making it not absorbed and binding to some fat in the diet. Several studies, however, found no more weight loss from Chitosan than from a placebo (sugar pill).
• Chromium is thought to enhance the effect of insulin and therefore the breakdown of carbohydrates. It has been touted as a weight loss aid and a fat burner. Much of the evidence is inconclusive on chromium’s effect on weight loss. Several studies have failed to show any benefit in weight loss after taking this mineral.
• Glucomannan. Made from the root of Amorphophallus Konjac, glucomannan is said to contribute to weight loss by delaying the absorption of glucose from the intestines. Small limited studies have shown glucomannan to be effective in decreasing body weight. This effect is believed to be due to a “feeling of fullness” which may be due to the swelling of the glucomannan in the gut once it has been exposed to liquids. However, esophageal obstruction has been reported in several people taking glucomannan. Glucomannan and glucomannan-containing products have been banned in several countries due to the high incidence of gastrointestinal obstruction.
• Garcinia (hydroxycitric acid). An ingredient found in at least 14 weight loss supplements comes from a plant native to India and Southeast Asia. To date, the best available data show this product is not effective in weight loss.
• Yerba Mate. Also known as Paraguay tea, yerba mate is a strong brain stimulant (the doses typically used mimic that of 100 to 200 mg of caffeine). The principle side effects reported are excessive stimulation and high blood pressure. It has not been proven to promote weight loss.
• Guar Gum. Also known as guar, guar flour, and jaguar gum, guar gum is a dietary fiber obtained from the Indian cluster bean. It has been noted to decrease appetite by providing a “feeling of fullness.” However, like glucomannan, guar gum may cause obstruction of the esophagus. The water-retaining capacity of the gum permits it to swell to 10- to 20-fold and has led to gastrointestinal obstructions. Reviews of multiple studies show it has no effect on weight loss.

It is very possible that sometime in the future, some unregulated substance will kill a number of people or cause a dangerous health problem that could have been prevented by a more careful scrutiny of “dietary” supplements.  At the very least, more people are also affected by wasting their money on often expensive products that have never been shown to live up to their claims.  Buyers beware!

Traditional Chinese medicine market

Traditional Chinese remedies have been used in Asia for several thousand years, and they have become popular in other parts of the world in the recent years, where the remedies are being used in conjunction with Western medications. However, some traditional Chinese medicines are now known to contain toxins and may cause serious health issues. One example is the case of herbal medicine made from Aristolochia plants.

Some Aristolochia plants contain toxic substance called aristolochic acid. The plants have been widely used in traditional herbal medicines, such as Mutong and Fangchi. However, aristolochic acid is now known to cause kidney failure and urinary tract cancer, and it has been classified as carcinogen since 2002.

Structure of aristolochic acid

Once ingested, aristolochic acid reacts with DNA to form stable complex, known as aristolactam-DNA adducts. These adducts are formed in the kidney and remain there for many years — even lifelong. They also appear in the urinary tract, eventually turning the surrounding into tumors. One of the characteristics of the tumors caused by aristolochic acid is the unique mutations in the gene called TP53 (a tumor-suppressor gene), which are caused as the result of DNA damage within the aristolactam-DNA adducts.

Aristolochia clematitis is a species of Aristolochia plant, whose seeds have contaminated the flours in some European villages.

The toxicity of aristolochic acid was first revealed in 1993, when some Belgian women developed kidney failure and urinary tract cancer after consuming Aristolochia herb as part of their weight-loss remedy. The toxicity of aristolochic acid remains a problem in Europe, where residents of rural farming villages in several countries are suffering from kidney disease and high incidence of urinary tract cancer due to the ingestion of bread made with flour contaminated with seeds of Aristolochia plant.

Incidentally, Taiwan has the highest number of occurrence of urinary tract cancer in the world. At least one third of the population of Taiwan has been exposed to Chinese medicine containing aristolochic acid. Several studies — including new findings published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — has shown that there is a direct relationship between consumption of aristolochic acid and the risk of developing urinary tract cancer: the more dose of aristolochic acid taken, the higher the chance of developing the cancer. Moreover, the new study showed that there is a higher incidence of urinary tract cancer in women than men in Taiwan, which could be because some herbs containing aristolochic acid are more frequently prescribed to women, such as Longdan Xiegan Tang.

The use of herbs containing aristolochic acid has been banned in Taiwan since 2003. However, like many other carcinogens, the effect of aristolochic acid does not appear until much later; the latency period of urinary tract cancer caused by the toxin can be 20-40 years.

The toxicity of aristolochic acid is a huge problem not only in Taiwan, but also in China and other Asian countries where traditional herbal medicine is widely used. Moreover, because herbal remedies are getting popular elsewhere in the world, aristolochic acid toxicity poses global public health problem.

Thank you for reading the post, and don’t forget to come back in a week for a new one!

Read a continuation to this post here.

References:
Aristolochic acid-associated urothelial cancer in Taiwan
Population-Based Case–Control Study of Chinese Herbal Products Containing Aristolochic Acid and Urinary Tract Cancer Risk

Browsing on the net I found that they belonged to a species called Aristolochia ringens. I have observed these weird looking flowers which have a pitcher kind of opening.

These mature fruits have seeds which are dispersed by wind. These  seeds are tear shaped.

The  flower

Aristolochia is an important genus widely used in traditional medicine. During the past two decades, this genus has
attracted much interest and has been the subject of numerous chemical and pharmacological studies. It is a rich source of aristolochic acids, which are unique to this genus.The roots of this plant are well known as an antidote for snake bite.

However scientists have been warning people of  the use of aristolochic acids in natural medicine as they are carcinogens and toxic to the kidneys.

Ad for Chinese herbal medicine, Seattle 1908/ via Wikimedia Commons

Please pardon the relative quiet of this blog this week. All our in-house and far-flung occasional correspondents are otherwise engaged, it seems. Blame the nice weather, if it’s nice where you are. Our editor-in-chief, Shawn Kennedy, is in Pittsburgh at the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) convention. She’s presenting this afternoon (I think) on the new AJN iPad app, among other things (no, we don’t yet have one for the Kindle, but that may be on the way).

Shawn should have an update on her adventures with the next generation in nursing sometime early next week. So for now, almost entirely avoiding nursing news and health care reform, here are a few items of potential interest:

The Respectful Insolence blog, in reminding us that “natural” doesn’t always mean safer, points to an AFP article that highlights research drawing a connection between a widely used herbal remedy and the unusually high incidence of urinary tract cancer in Taiwan. Says the AFP article,

A toxic ingredient in a popular herbal remedy is linked to more than half of all cases of urinary tract cancer in Taiwan where use of traditional medicine is widespread, said a US study Monday.

Aristolochic acid (AA) is a potent human carcinogen that is found naturally in Aristolochia plants, an ingredient common in botanical Asian remedies for aiding weight loss, easing joint pain and improving stomach ailments.

While the FDA issued an alert about products containing this ingredient last fall, it’s important to recall that the multibillion dollar supplements industry in the U.S., whatever its benefits, is not subject to the same regulations applied to the pharmaceutical industry.

And, in honor of the weekend and the blossoming trees, here’s something of proven health benefit: walking. It’s free, there seem to be new studies out all the time telling us why it’s good for our minds and bodies, but many have noted that Americans don’t do it anymore, and that in some places in the U.S. it can be downright dangerous to do so. Slate has a new series, “The Crisis in American Walking,” that explores the many facets of this issue, from how we got to this place to what we can do about it. It’s well worth a look, though maybe you’d be better off just turning off your electronic device and hitting the streets, paths, hills, mallscape, wherever.

OK, one nursing item, from the news department in the April issue of AJN: we look at two studies that highlight ways that nurse-led teams are helping bring about improvements in risk management, adherence, and perceptions of care for patients with chronic disease.

Enjoy the weekend!—JM, senior editor, blog editor

The underside is equally as exciting — I like Wikipedia’s description: “The underside of the hind wing has seven orange submarginal spots surrounded by iridescent blue.”

Its host plant in our area is the Pipevine (Aristolochia), also known as Dutchman’s Pipe. Once you see it you’ll understand the name:

We’ve been growing pipevine in a few spots in our garden for several years, but haven’t yet been lucky enough to attract a butterfly to lay eggs on any of them. The vine in the front garden put out a profusion of pipes last week. This photo shows one string of them – there are many more pipes zigzagging up the tree that the vine is twined around.

The plants need to get really large to attract the female to lay eggs. We have raised caterpillars from eggs that we rescued, and they ate the pipevine leaves voraciously. We had to forage to find them enough to eat!

This is an “artsy” piece I made from my photo of a Pipevine Swallowtail on a buddleia flower.

So this year we’re having pipevine dreams that a butterfly will visit our garden and lay some eggs. If you see one, please send her our way!

Here are some additional updated photos, of flower, leaf and seedpod on a followup post…

And a link to more species and photos from the Aristolochia genus…

At Dokmai Garden we try to explain to the visitor that we love all plants, even the less colourful flowers. Some Thais look at us like we are mad when we show this inconspicuous brown flower. To us, it looks like an alien from outer space, and it provides food for the flying flowers (the butterflies). This statement takes some pedagogic efforts, as the metamorphosis of advanced insects is an unknown phenomenon to most Thais. They consider the larvae “harmful worms”, and do not see the relation to the butterflies. Luckily, we quite often have all developmental stages to show, although our butterfly garden is not enclosed, all our creatures are free. If they like Dokmai Garden, they are free to stay, if they wish to leave, we do not stop them. Some visitors have remarked we have more butterflies than the butterfly gardens, which is easily explained by the fact that over 930 plant species constitute delicious food for numerous species, and we provide a range of drinks for the adult butterflies too. At my favourite spot, I can see 25 species in just an hour.

Aristolochia tagala is available at our sales nursery, which we call “the Connoisseur’s Club”.

… inder Ecke….

… in der Sonne …

… in der Höhe …

… und im Verborgenen.

Aristolochia vine is flowering for the first time. The growth rate of the massive bloom is fairly spectacular. I collected the other variety in the previous post in the forest on an island in the Caribbean coast of Panama, I´m assuming its endemic. I collected the one in this post, pictured below, at a private botanical garden in Costa Rica.

When the flower opens it emits a somewhat foul odor, however apparently flies find it pleasing. They can be seen landed on the inside of the open flower

All the Aristolochia species studied so far are pollinated by saprophagous flies of different families. The flies, attracted to the smell of the open bloom, alight on the inner walls of the flower, which then closes, trapping the flies inside until the male flower has matured.

Apparently this species of Aristolochia was a highly regarded medical plant by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans (not sure where they would have acquired the plant from, as it is thought to be native to the Carri bean). It also plays a minor role in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is, however, most notable for containing toxic aristolochic acid, sometimes in quantities fatal to humans.

I have also collected Aristolochia maxima and A. inflata in national parks of Panama.