Birthwort
fruit
by Joe
Hing Kwok Chu
Refers to any of the woody vine plants belonging to the aristolochia genus
bearing showy, bad smelling, purplish brown to yellowish flowers. The name
of birthworth fruit came from aristolochia clematitis, one of the European
species, that was used as a folk medicine to aid in childbirth in Europe.
The Chinese herb ma dou ling belongs to the same
genus.
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Picture of ma dou ling, which literally means bells of
horses |