Aristolochia argentina
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| Aristolochia argentina | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: | Aristolochia |
| Species: | A. argentina |
| Binomial name | |
| Aristolochia argentina | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Aristolochia argentina is a herbaceous plant in the family Aristolochiaceae. It is native to northern Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.[2][3]
The flowers of A. argentina are zygomorphic. The perianth is a single whorl made up of three fused together green tepals with purple or brown venation. The utricle, tube, and limb are distinguishable, like most other species in this genus. The length of the flower varies between 31-46 millimeters.[4]
Uses
It has been commonly used as there is essential oils from the leaves and can be used as a medicine. Commonly known in Spanish as charrúa, the medicine was found by the GC/MS by hydrodistillation.[5]
The roots of the plant have been used as folk medicine to help with colitis, diarrhoea and hemorrhoids. A study used Aristolochia argentina lyophilized aqueous extract (AALE) and studied the antidiarrhoeal effects on rats and mice. It found that AALE inhibited intestinal motility and enteropooling property, thus having antidiarrhoeal effects.[6]