Aristolochia fangchi Y. C. Wu ex L. D. Chow & S. M. Hwang

When originally published (Chow and Hwang, loc. cit.), this name was invalid under Art. 8.1 and 37 of the St. Louis Code because two types were indicated (one flowering, one fruiting). The flowering specimen has here been chosen as the holotype because the flower is much more clearly diagnostic in this genus than the fruit. The specific epithet is derived from the vernacular name.

This species is used medicinally.

Shrubs climbing. Stems terete, obscurely striate, villous. Petiole 1-4 cm, densely brown villous; leaf blade oblong to ovate-oblong, rarely ovate-lanceolate, 6-16 × 3.5-5 cm, leathery, abaxially densely brown or gray pubescent, adaxially villous along veins, veins pinnate, 4-6 pairs, base rounded, apex acute or obtuse. Racemes on old woody stems, 2-4-flowered, 4-6 cm. Pedicel 5-7 cm, pendulous, densely villous; bractlets subulate, 3-8 × ca. 1 mm. Calyx purple with yellow blotches, throat white; tube horseshoe-shaped, abaxially densely villous; basal portion of tube 40-50 × 8-10 mm; limb subrotund-peltate, 4-6 cm in diam., shallowly 3-lobed; lobes equal, acute. Anthers oblong, 4-5 mm. Gynostemium 3-lobed. Capsule 5-10 × 3-5 cm, dehiscing basipetally. Seeds ovoid-deltoid, 5-7 × 3-4 mm. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jul-Sep.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou.

* Dense forests, thickets, on slopes; 500-1000 m.

Aristolochia fangchi Y. C. Wu ex L. D. Chow & S. M. Hwang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 13(2): 108. 1975 (includes Latin diagnosis), nom. inval.

Aristolochia fangchi (Chinese: 广防已 guang fang ji), is a species of flowering plant in the family Aristolochiaceae, native to Vietnam and southeast and south-central China.

In 1993, a series of end-stage renal disease cases were reported from Belgium associated with a weight loss treatment, where Stephania tetrandra (Chinese: 粉防己 fen fang ji) in a herbal preparation was accidentally substituted with Aristolochia fangchi. More than 105 patients were identified with nephropathy following the ingestion of this preparation from the same clinic from 1990 to 1992. Many required renal transplantation or dialysis.