Ma dou ling, Birthwort, Horse-Bell
Aristolochia debilis
Family: Aristolochiaceae
What it is like
A small herb. It is a scrambling plant with dark purple stems and branching. It grows 1 m tall and spreads 1 m wide. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are narrow and almost triangle shaped. They are 4-7 cm long by 5 cm wide. The flowers occur singly and are slender and yellow-green. The fruit is a round capsule.
The Aristolochiaceae are mostly tropical and subtropical. There are about 500 Aristolochia species.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It grows on thickets and on mountain slopes or in valleys, moist place between 200-1500 m altitude in China. It can tolerate frost.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan
How it is used for food
CAUTION: Many plants in this group are poisonous. The leaves are boiled and eaten with oil and salt. The roots and stems are poisonous.
Edible parts
Leaves, caution