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- Isotrema macrophyllum
Isotrema macrophyllum — large-leaved Dutchman's pipe
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Facts
The big, heart-shaped leaves and curving, tubular flowers make Large-leaved Dutchman's pipe quite distinctive among garden lianas. Native to the southeastern U. S., most plants found in New England are likely garden escapes. This plant is the main food source for caterpillars of the highly specialized, iridescent blue pipe-vine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor philenor). By ingesting the poisonous compounds in Dutchman's pipe leaves, the larvae become toxic to predators. Several other non-poisonous swallowtail butterfly species have evolved similar coloration to mimic this species and fool would-be predators.
Habitat
Forest edges, forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a liana (i.e., a woody plant with a vine-like growth form)
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 70–340 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 100–350 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Twig winter color
- brown
- Bud scale number
- there are two scales on the winter bud, and their edges meet
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud scale number
- there are two scales on the winter bud, and their edges meet
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
- Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
- Leaf scar arrangement
- there is one leaf scar per node on the stem or twig
- Superposed buds
- there are superposed buds above the main (terminal) bud
-
Flowers
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
- Hypanthium present
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence hairs
- there are no hairs on the inflorescence
- Inflorescence type
-
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals
- Petal appearance
- NA
- Petal fusion
-
- NA
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
- Sepal tip glands
- there are no glands at the tips of the sepal lobes
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Fruit tissue origin
- there are no flower parts that form part of the fruit
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- there are no wings on the fruit
-
Glands or sap
- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a liana (i.e., a woody plant with a vine-like growth form)
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf has hairs on it
- the underside of the leaf has no hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf blade base shape
- The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes)
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
- Leaf blade length
- 70–340 mm
- Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade texture
-
- the leaf blade is coriaceous (has a firm, leathery texture)
- the leaf blade is membranaceous (thin, flexible, almost translucent)
- Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the main veins of the leaf blade are palmate (radiate out from the base, like a hand)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has three or more main veins running from the base (or near the base) towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 100–350 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk shape
- the leaf stalk is not flattened
- Leaf teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant, or they fall off as the leaf expands
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- forests
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasantly aromatic odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
- Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
- Lenticels on twigs
- there are no lenticels on the twigs, or they are very hard to see
- Pith shape
- the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
- Short shoots
- there are no peg- or knob-like shoots present
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hairs
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
- Twig scales
- there are no scales on the twig surface
- Twig winter color
- brown
- Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Isotrema macrophyllum (Lam.) C.F. Reed E
large-leaved Dutchman’s pipe. Aristolochia durior Hill; A. macrophylla Lam. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Forests and forest edges.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Isotrema tomentosum:
- stems and abaxial leaf surface tomentose and the peduncle without a bract (vs. I. macrophyllum, with stems and abaxial leaf surface glabrous to puberulent and peduncle with a bract near the middle).
Synonyms
- Aristolochia durior Hill
- Aristolochia macrophylla Lam.