Indian Birthwort is a twining perennial herb, with
branchlets slender. Leaves are 3.5-8 x 2-3.5 cm, ovate-lanceshaped or
ovate-oblong, base flat, tip pointed to tapering, hairless; 3-5-nerved
at base; leaf-stalk up to 2.5 cm long. Flowers are borne in
few-flowered racemes in leaf-axils. Flower-stalks are about 7 mm long,
elongate in fruits. Bracts are about 1.5 mm long, lanceshaped. Flower
tube is dull brown, 1-1.5 cm long, bulbous base 3-5 mm across, green;
limb 2-2.5 cm long, linear-oblong, rounded at tip, greyish-green.
Stamens 6. Ovary is about 2 mm long; stigmas 6, fleshy. Capsule is
1.5-3 x 1.5-2 cm, spherical-pear-shaped, 6-ridged, splitting from the
base, parachute-like after splitting. Seeds are 4-6 mm across, broadly
deltoid, flat, winged. Indian Birthwort is found in Indo-Malesia. In
India it is seen in Peninsular India.
Medicinal uses: Roots and rhizome are used as
gastric stimulant and bitter tonic. Aristolochic acid is used for
stimulating phagocytosis in infectious diseases in combination with
antibiotics. Juice of leaves are used in cough and seeds in
inflammation and biliousness.
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale
Photographed in Lonavala, Maharashtra.
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The flower labeled Indian Birthwort is ...