Researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified three new species of Aristolochia, a diverse genus of flowering plants commonly known as pipevines, following extensive botanical surveys in southwestern China and Myanmar.

The findings were published in Annales Botanici Fennici on May 7.

With over 560 accepted species worldwide, Aristolochia is the largest genus in the family Aristolochiaceae. Its subgenus Siphisia is particularly diverse in East Asia. More than 80 taxa are found in China. Sixteen species of Aristolochia have been recorded in Myanmar, eight of which belong to the subgenus Siphisia.

During extensive botanical surveys in China and Myanmar, the researchers discovered several unidentified species of the ubgenus. Detailed morphological analyses later confirmed that these represented three new species, two from China and one from Myanmar.

The three newly identified species, Aristolochia palatifera, Aristolochia menghaiensis, and Aristolochia natmataungensis, are all woody perennial climbing lianas with zygomorphic, geniculately curved flowers and palmately veined leaves.

Aristolochia palatifera was found in Longling and Mangshi, southwestern Yunnan, China. It grows in valley evergreen broad-leaf forests at approximately 2,000 meters above sea level. It was named for its uniquely thickened calyx throat that forms a protruding tubular structure. Morphologically, it resembles Aristolochia pseudoutriformis but differs in leaf size, flower structure, and limb characteristics.

The second species, Aristolochia menghaiensis, was discovered on Huazhuliangzi Mountain in Menghai County, Yunnan. It is distinguished by densely pubescent leaves and a cylindrical limb with deep lobes. It flowers from May to June and produces ellipsoid capsules. The species is named after its type locality, Menghai County.

Aristolochia natmataungensis was found in Natma Taung National Park (Mount Victoria), Chin State, Myanmar. This species grows in montane wet evergreen forests at elevations of 2,400–2,500 meters. It is named after the national park and is closely related to Aristolochia cucurbitoides but differs from the latter in leaf indumentum, bracteole size, and limb morphology.

Currently, the three species are known only from their respective type localities. According to the researchers, more botanical explorations are need to fully understand their distribution, population size, and local abundance, so as to assess their conservation status.

Aristolochia palatifera (Image by TAN Yunhong)

Aristolochia menghaiensis (Image by TAN Yunhong)

Aristolochia natmataungensis (Image by TAN Yunhong)

Aristolochia natmataungensis (Image by TAN Yunhong)