''Aristolochia bracteolata'' also known as 'worm killer' in English due to its
anthelminthic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them without causing significant damage to the host. They may also ...
activity and
trypanocidal A trypanocidal agent is an antiprotozoal agent that acts upon trypanosome parasites.
Examples include:
* Aminoquinuride
* benzonidazole
* blasticidin S
* DAPI
* diminazene
* diminazene aceturate
* eflornithine
* ethidium
* isometamidium chlor ...
effect, is a
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
herb growing from 10–60 cm tall. The plant is important in traditional medicine in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
.
Distribution and ecology
''Aristolochia bracteolata'' grows in
subsaharan
Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
regions from
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
to
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
through to the Arabian peninsula and
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The plant grows at elevations of 50-740m above sea level and can be found on the banks of rivers, bushland, desert grasslands. It grows in
sandy
Sandy may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Sandy (surname), a list of people
* Sandy (Iranian music band), Iranian singer, comp ...
or
lava soils.
Description
''Aristolochia bracteolata'' is a climbing or prostrate perennial herb with an unpleasant smell, stems 10–60 cm tall from an underground rhizome. The leaves are ovate 1.5–8 × 1.5–7 cm with a petiole 0.5–4.5 cm long.
Flowers are dark purple, 0.5–5 cm tubular, with trumpet shaped mouth. Capsules are oblong-ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 cm. ''Aristolochia bracteolata'' has been observed to have 2–3 flowers per leaf axil in Somalia, however outside Somalia the plant seems to have solitary flowers.
Cultivation
''Aristolochia bracteolata'' is usually gathered from the wild.
Traditional medicine
''Aristolochia bracteolata'' has been used in
traditional medicine
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...
in Nigeria, India, and Ethiopia as an infusion of dried leaves to treat
intestinal worms
An intestinal parasite infection is a condition in which a parasite infects the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. Such parasites can live anywhere in the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall.
Routes of exposure and inf ...
, skin itch, or insect bites.
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q12973984
bracteolata
Medicinal plants of Africa
Flora of the Indian subcontinent