Smearwort
Encyclopedia
Smearwort also known as Round-leaved Birthwort, English Mercury, Mercury Goosefoot, Allgood, Tola Bona or (ambiguously) "Fat Hen
", is a herbaceous
perennial
plant native to Southern Europe
.
), attracted by the smell and by purple-brown color of the flowers. The small hairs inside the cup prevent the flies to come out and fly away. After the pollination these hairs sag and allow them to escape.
This species is the only host plant of the caterpillars of a beautiful uncommon butterfly (Zerynthia polyxena
). Eating the leaves of the plant the larvae this insect ingest aristolochic acid that make them poisonous to birds.
s derived from the leaves were used to heal chronic sores. Roots were often used on sheep to remedy cough. And, the seeds have found employment in the making of shagreen
. Smearwort leaves can be gathered when young and delicate, then boiled in broth. If grown in rich soil, the shoots may be cut when no bigger than a pencil and five inches high, to be peeled and boiled, then eaten as asparagus
.
Fat Hen
Fat hen or fat-hen may refer to:* Hen and chicks, common name for a group of small succulent flowering plants native to Europe and northern Africa* Fat Hen, common name for Aristolochia rotunda , a perennial herb native to Southern Europe...
", is a herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
plant native to Southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Etymology
The genus name aristolochia derives from the Greek words αριστος (aristos) meaning "the best" and 'lochéia' meaning ' childbirth', for the old use in promoting uterine contractions. The Latin name of the species rotunda refers to the rounded shape of the leaves.Botanical description
Smearwort is a dark-green succulent plant that grows to about 60–70 cm (23.6–27.6 ) high, rising from stout, fleshy, branching root-stock. The root reaches 5–25 cm (2–9.8 ) in length and sometimes seems out of proportion to the slenderness of the plant. The unbranched stem has alternate, large, smooth-edged, heart-shaped and stalkless leaves that clasp the stem with enlarged, basal lobes. The solitary flowers have an unpleasant odor and they are tubular, about 2.5–5 cm (0.984251968503937–2 ) long, yellowish-green with a prominent, dark-brown or dark purple flap, both arising from the axils of the leaves. The fruit is bladder-like of about 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) in diameter and contains a single seed. The flowering period extends from April through June.Reproduction
The flowers of Aristolochia rotunda are hermaphrodite are pollinated by midges and other small insects (entomophilyEntomophily
Entomophily is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by insects. Several insect are reported to be responsible for the pollination of many plant species, particularly bees, Lepidoptera , wasps, flies, ants and beetles. Some plant species co-evolved with a particular pollinator, such...
), attracted by the smell and by purple-brown color of the flowers. The small hairs inside the cup prevent the flies to come out and fly away. After the pollination these hairs sag and allow them to escape.
This species is the only host plant of the caterpillars of a beautiful uncommon butterfly (Zerynthia polyxena
Zerynthia polyxena
The Southern Festoon is a striking butterfly belonging to the Papilionidae family of butterflies with a wingspan of 60–80 mm. Its flight time is from April to June in a single brood.- Distribution :...
). Eating the leaves of the plant the larvae this insect ingest aristolochic acid that make them poisonous to birds.
Distribution
This plant is common in Mediterranean countries. It is rarely naturalized in the British Isles.Habitat
These plants occur along the banks of canals, edges of ditches and fields, sides of roads, meadows, slopes and forests. They prefer chalky soils and moist, shady areas, at an altitude of 0–800 m (0–2,624.7 ) above sea level.Uses
The name Smearwort is derived from its use as ointment. PoulticePoultice
A poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts...
s derived from the leaves were used to heal chronic sores. Roots were often used on sheep to remedy cough. And, the seeds have found employment in the making of shagreen
Shagreen
Shagreen is a type of leather or rawhide consisting of rough untanned skin, formerly made from a horse's back or that of an onager . Shagreen is now commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays....
. Smearwort leaves can be gathered when young and delicate, then boiled in broth. If grown in rich soil, the shoots may be cut when no bigger than a pencil and five inches high, to be peeled and boiled, then eaten as asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
.
Subspecies
- Aristolochia rotunda subsp. rotunda, autonym
- Aristolochia rotunda subsp. insularis (E.Nardi & Arrigoni) Gamisans
- Aristolochia rotunda subsp. reichsteinii E.Nardi