seeds of Aristolochia durior, A. grandifolia, Pipevine, Dutchmans Pipe

Aristolochia durior is a vine that is also referred to as Aristolochia macrophyla or Aristolochia grandifolia Salisb. This vine is also commonly called Pipevine or Dutchman’s pipe. The origins of this vine species can be traced to the North-eastern part of the United States. The concentration of plant growth in this region can be found in the Cumberland and Blue Ridge Mountains. Aristolochia durior can be found in several states in the USA including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Maine and Kansas. Aristolochia durior is a slow grower when its young but that quickly changes once a minimum measure of growth is achieved. The reason for such a phenomenon being that the vine becomes more stable and flexible with time. The plant can grow to a length of 9m when healthy. Each leaf is heart-shaped and measures 15 to 30 cm long. The name ‘Dutchman’s pipe’ derives from the unique arrangement of flowers and lobes. The 5 cm wide flowers spring from the calyx and in turn sprout three lobes each. The lobes are purple in colour and their odd placement makes the entire structure resemble Dutch smoking pipes. The unique structure of the flowers also forces insects seeking nectar to go deep into the flower. As a consequence, each insect is bound to leave the flower with pollen stuck to it. Pollination is followed by the sprouting of fruit that has an uncanny resemblance to cucumbers. Aristolochia durior contains Aristochlochic acid; a substance that most users of the plant don’t know about. Aristochlochic acid is a notorious carcinogen and mutagen that been associated with a number of urological cancers. People who use the plant for medicinal purposes should, therefore, desist from doing so given the danger they are placing themselves in. The leaves of Aristolochia durior extensively overlap and can be counted on to cover fences, walls, pillars et al.