The European birthwort is a poisonous plant. In Russia, it is called ‘finovnik’, ‘zmeyevik’ and ‘kokornik’. Another name of the European birthwort — ‘fever herb’ — in the past it was used to get rid of ailments.
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Birthwort
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The birthwort is a perennial herbaceous liana up to 90 centimetres in height with a creeping rhizome. It is found in Europe, the North Caucasus, and in Russia — mainly in the territory of Chernozemie. The plant can be seen on glades, limestones, hillsides and in the thickets of shrubs. The birthwort grows in floodplain forests, which are located in areas of river valleys flooded by high water. The plant prefers carbonate soils and they are actually found mainly in river valleys.
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The birthwort is distinguished by large ovate leaves with a matte rough surface. They are round-shaped, and at the base — heart-shaped. Just like the shape of ivy and vine leaves, the shape of the birthwort’s leaf was used in architecture and taken as a model for Gothic ornaments.
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Passing the age of five years, the plant begins to bloom. Small light-yellow flowers appear on it in the second half of May. The curved shape of the flower resembles a smoking pipe. The birthwort begins to exude a sharp fruity odour, and in July ripen the fruits – small spherical capsules.
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European birthwort. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Once the flowering is over, the herb is collected and dried — for this, it is laid out in a thin layer in a shaded and ventilated room. The tincture of the birthwort roots or leaves has long been used in traditional medicine. In drug manufacturing they also used its rhizomes, stems with flowers, fruits and seeds. However, since 2001, all over the world they have begun to ban the release of birthwort-containing drugs. All due to the fact that the plant contains aristolochic acid, it is a strong capillary poison — one of the three deadly ones. Recent scientific studies by scientists have shown that birthwort has a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect.
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Today it is used as an ornamental plant — for vertical gardening of arches, gazebos and houses. For example, landscape designers often plant the Manchurian birthwort, the length of whose liana can reach 14 metres.
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Kuzebai Gerd National Museum of the Republic of Udmurtia
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Birthwort
Dimensions
40x30 cm
Technique
Herbarisation
Collection
Exhibition
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