Aristolochia grandiflora
Aristolochia grandiflora
Safety & Hazards
The roots are reported to be poisonous to some mammals[1].
Cultivation Details
A plant of the lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres[1, 2]. Prefers a well-drained, humus-rich, loamy soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[3]. Plants often flower and fruit all year round[2]. The plant is very unpleasantly scented[2]. The flowers are very large, probably one of the largest flowers to be found in the Americas[1]. The flowers of many species in this genus form an intricate trap for pollinating insects. The insects are tempted to an area of the flower where they are unable to grip and they slide down into the utricle - downward pointing hairs prevent them climbing out[3]. The trap helps to ensure the fertilization of the flowers and the insects are eventually released[3].
Propagation
Seed - pre-soak for 48 hours in warm water and surface sow. Germinates best at a temperature of 25 - 30c[3]. Softwood cuttings[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aristolochia+grandiflora>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
- [2]Flowering Plants of Jamaica — Adams. C.D. · University of the West Indies; Jamaica. · 1972 ↩︎A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [5]Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53 — Missouri Botanical Garden · 1966 ↩︎Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.