The MGS Forum
Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: Pallas on May 03, 2017, 10:40:29 AM
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In my bamboo hedge (yes, I know. It came with the house), there was a twining vine which I always unthinkingly ripped out when I saw it getting too frisky. I just assumed it was a morning glory, so I never looked at it too closely.
But the other day, there were round-oval, slightly ribbed seed pods on the vine, about 3 to 4cm in diameter: so, not a morning glory after all. So I've kept an eye on it and yesterday took the attached 3 photos. It's lovely: a dark red-purple, vase-shaped flower, like an orchid or one of the carnivorous plants, heart-shaped leaves. Stupidly, I didn't take photos of the seed pods.
Can anyone identify it?
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Hi Pallas,
I am not an expert on plant identifications and have never seen your mystery plant but it looks like something called Dutchman's pipe. I expect the experts are gallivanting on Sardinia at the moment
Hilary
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What a gloriously evocative name! A quick internet picture search for Dutchman's pipe shows that it could indeed be Aristolochia baetica -- Baetica being the Roman name for Andalucia which seems quite conclusive. Thank you very much, Hilary.
There are some real whoppers in Aristolochia -- some apparently reach 75 feet (I am metric, but that sounds LARGE!) -- and although not actually carnivorous, they give off a rotting meat scent (not in evidence, I am glad to say) to attract pollinators, which they imprison overnight and then allow to go their merry way.
A. baetica gets to about 4 metres, which is manageable and the flowers are lovely, so no more ripping out!
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http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=105.msg232#msg232 (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=105.msg232#msg232) is a whole thread on this interesting genus.