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February 28, 2008 : Aristolochia elegans
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Keywords: Aristolochiaceae | Aristolochia elegans Mast. syn. Aristolochia littoralis auct. | United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC, USA
Connor Fitzpatrick is the author of today's write-up. Connor writes:
Today's Botany Photo of the Day is a close-up courtesy of mycologie@Flickr (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool. Many thanks!
Some common names for this member of the Aristolochiaceae family include calico flower and dutchman's pipe. The native distribution of Aristolochia elegans covers western and central South America. However, it is also listed as an invasive species throughout the Pacific (link contains more photographs; also note that Aristolochia littoralis is a synonym of the accepted Aristolochia elegans).
This species poses a high risk of becoming a serious pest in Australia (more information on risk assessments by Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk), with particular impact on insect populations. Butterflies of the family Papilionidae, including Atrophaneura polydorus, lay their eggs on Aristolochiaceae. The caterpillars sequester the toxin and use it as defence from predation (via Wikipedia). No ill effects are caused to the larvae after ingesting native Australian species of the family Aristolochiaceae. However, an as-yet-unknown chemical poisons and kills caterpillars of Atrophaneura polydorus after they consume the leaves of Aristolochia elegans (via Crossley and Evans).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at February 28, 2008 12:00 AM
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Posted by: cody at February 28, 2008 2:18 AM
Daniel: "I don't know what's crazier, you or the things you talk about", but do keep bringing it on. Any lovely photos of 'Dutchman's pipe'? Thanks for your botanical bevy of beauty and interest. Loey
Posted by: Loey at February 28, 2008 10:01 AM
Aristolochia elegans - Z9 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Aristolochia elegans - min 7 degrees C/45 degrees F - A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Brickell, Cole, Zuk
Aristolochia, ar-is-to-lo-ke-a; from Gr. aristos, best [most useful], and locheia, childbirth, alluding to ancient use in maternity - the Birthwort. elegans el-e-ganz, elegant. Plant Names Simplified, Johnson and Smith
Posted by: Beverley at February 28, 2008 12:17 PM
I remember seeing a porch of a house with vines all over it. If you looked cosely you could fine small flowers in a green colour that looked like a pipe. It was so long ago that I don't remember if there was colour in the inside of the pipe.
Thank you
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at February 28, 2008 9:07 PM
cody: Your comment on 'reciprocal' evolution reminded me of something I had read. Members of the Apiaceae family produce toxic chemicals called linear furanocoumarins. The black swallowtail butterfly has evolved a detoxicative enzyme and caterpillar feed on these plants. Some Apiaceae species, however, have evolved the ability to synthesize angular furanocoumarins. Black swallowtail caterpillars lack the enzyme required to metabolize this chemical and are killed after ingestion. Maybe an insect/plant arms-race is being initiated in Australia between swallowtails and Aristolochia.
Posted by: Connor at February 28, 2008 10:52 PM
To me it looks oddly like some sort of cephalopod.
Posted by: Joe at February 29, 2008 2:56 AM
Cody and Connor - Most (if not all) of the plants in this family contain a toxin called Aristolochic acid. In the northeast US there is a pipevine that is native to the area (Aristolochia macrophylla) which is the host plant for the black swallowtail. These swallowtail caterpillars can sequester the toxin thus making them toxic as well. Pretty cool, but here is where the story gets crazy: the spicebush swallowtail, which feeds on another northeast native, the spicebush, is not toxic however the spicebush swallowtail caterpillars mimic the toxic black swallowtail caterpillars to escape from predators! Aristolochia is tied to not just the insect that uses it as a host, but also to another insect species.
Additionally, the pipe morphology of the flowers traps insect pollinators (mainly flies), which are attracted to the nectar in the bottom of the pipe. They crawl down into the pipe and can't crawl back out until the flower splits open. Evolution towards carnivory, perhaps?
Posted by: Elena at February 29, 2008 4:11 AM
I first saw the Dutchman's Pipe @ the Devonian Gardens by Edmonton, Alberta, and ever since I have been on the hunt for one. Does anyone know where I could find a good healthy one in BC? Let me know!
-Jaxon
Posted by: Jaxon at February 29, 2008 11:26 AM
no wonder people put up signs
keep away from the flowers
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at February 29, 2008 11:38 AM
stupenda e veramente elegante foto.
Posted by: Silvano Del Lungo at May 22, 2008 8:54 AM
send me all avilable photos of
aristolochia
Posted by: sanip badadhe at August 7, 2008 7:40 AM
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I'll bet they start evolving some kind of mechanism to prevent their death, either a resistance to the toxin or a particular repulsion to this species as a larval food plant. I've heard that many Australian snake species have evolved smaller heads as a response to the selection pressure exerted by the toxic cane toad infestation. Snakes with small heads can't swallow the poisonous toads, so they survive to have more offspring (with smaller heads), and so on...