Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Aristolochia serpentaria
Birthwort, Virginia snakeroot, Virginia dutchman's pipe
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Endodeca serpentaria

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
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F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial

Roots: adventitious, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; lobed (pinnately), lobed (palmately) leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; oblique leaf shape

Inflorescence: solitary

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; incomplete, not petals, irregular; violet, others; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: capsule

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Rich or rocky lowland or upland woods. Generally on somewhat dry or well-drained slopes and ravines. Often calcareous woods- prunus virginiana, Quercus Alba, Tilia americana

ILPIN Notes: Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, often more than 2 cm. broad at mid-point. Fragrant root stocks smelling like turpentine or menthol were used medicinally as a bitter tonic.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 6
  • Chicago Area: 10

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