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California Dutchman's pipe, California pipevine, California snakeroot

Wright's Dutchman's-pipe

Habit Lianas, twining, to 5 m, woody. Herbs, procumbent, to 0.4 m. Young stem slightly striate, velutinous with yellowish trichomes.
Young stem

ribbed, tomentose.

Leaves

blade ovate to reniform, 4-12 × 3-10 cm, base cordate, sinus depth 2-6 cm, apex obtuse to rounded;

surfaces abaxially tomentose;

venation palmate-pinnate.

blade ovate to hastate, (0-)3-lobed, 1-4 × 2-4 cm, base cordate to hastate, sinus 0.2-0.6 cm, apex obtuse to acute;

surfaces velutinous with yellowish trichomes;

venation palmate.

Inflorescences

on new growth, axillary, solitary flowers;

peduncle bracteolate, 1-4 cm;

bracteoles reniform, to 8 mm.

on new growth, axillary, solitary flowers;

peduncle bracteolate, 1-2 cm;

bracteoles lanceolate, to 6 mm.

Flowers

calyx brown-purple, bent;

utricle pendent, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, 0.5-5 × 1-1.5 cm;

syrinx absent;

tube bent, cylindric, 1-3 × 1-1.7 cm;

annulus absent;

limb purplish, 3-lobed, lobes 2 × 2 cm, glabrous;

gynostemium 3-lobed, cylindric, 5-10 mm;

anthers 6;

ovary 6-locular, 1-4 cm.

calyx brown-purple, straight;

utricle angled upward, ovoid, to 0.7 × 0.4 cm;

syrinx funnel-shaped, 2 mm;

tube upright, cylindric, 1.5 × 0.3 cm;

annulus absent;

limb purplish, 1-lobed, lobe narrowly cordate to narrowly ovate, 1-6 × 0.9 cm, papillate;

gynostemium 5-lobed, ovoid, 5-10 mm;

anthers 5;

ovary 5-locular, 1-2 cm.

Capsule

ovoid to cylindric, 5-6 × 1-3 cm, dehiscence basipetal;

valves 6;

septa entire, not attached to valves.

± globose, 1.2 × 1-3 cm, dehiscence acropetal;

valves 5;

septa absent.

Seeds

flat, triangular, 1-1.2 × 1 cm.

flat, triangular, 0.4 × 0.5 cm.

2n

= 28, 32.

Aristolochia californica

Aristolochia wrightii

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering all year.
Habitat Along streams, in forest thickets, chaparral Rocky slopes
Elevation 50-700(-1000) m (200-2300(-3300) ft) 500-2000 m (1600-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The leaves of Aristolochia californica are eaten by larvae of the western swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor hirsuta (Skinner) (W. H. Howe 1975).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Aristolochiaceae > Aristolochia Aristolochiaceae > Aristolochia
Sibling taxa
A. clematitis, A. coryi, A. erecta, A. macrophylla, A. maxima, A. pentandra, A. reticulata, A. serpentaria, A. tomentosa, A. watsonii, A. wrightii
A. californica, A. clematitis, A. coryi, A. erecta, A. macrophylla, A. maxima, A. pentandra, A. reticulata, A. serpentaria, A. tomentosa, A. watsonii
Synonyms A. brevipes var. wrightii
Name authority Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 128. (1857) Seemann: Bot. Voy. Herald, 331. (1856)
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