National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Klamath Network Featured Creature April 2012 Evolution: Members of the Aristolochiales are known as Pipevine paleoherbs. The paleoherb hypothesis suggests members of ( californica) this group have close relations to the earliest flowering , and FIELD NOTES: have uncomplicated flowers with a mix of monocot and dicot General Description: California features. pipevine is a woody with deciduous arrowhead-shaped leaves. Habitat: California Pipevines are Stems can grow to 12 ft (3.5 m) in usually found in partial shade in length. Flowers are composed of forest, , or streamside fused sepals in a U-shaped tube habitats, where soils tend to be (resembling a tobacco pipe), petals are moist. absent. The flowers of the pipevine are unique in that they ‘grow up.’ The Distribution: This species is a purplish-brown flowers appear before California endemic!! It occurs in the leaves and can be quite small the from (<1cm), they grow as they mature, Monterey Co. north and in the eventually reaching 2-4 cm (see image W. Sierra foothills north to at right). This is the opposite of most Shasta Co. plants whose flowers have reached full size when they open. The fruits are a 6 Where to see it in the Klamath winged capsule, resembling a star Parks: California Pipevine is fruit. They split open when ripe. Roland Hall, Whiskeytown NRA only found at Whiskeytown NRA. Pollination: Mature flowers emit a foul smell (similar to rotting meat). References: This smell attracts flies, in particular Marin Chapter CNPS: the fungus gnat. The gnats fly into the http://www.marin.edu/cnps/pip flower and become temporarily evine.html trapped. The extra time they spend in the flowers enhances the transfer of Bay natives: . The California pipevine is not http://www.baynatives.com/plan insectivorous, as one might conclude ts/Aristolochia-californica/ from watching flies enter the and not promptly exiting. However, if Flora of North America: you are patient and keep watching, the http://www.efloras.org/florataxo flies will eventually exit. n.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233 500156 Ecology: California pipevine is the host plant to the western swallowtail butterfly. The swallowtail lays its small reddish eggs on the leaves. When the eggs hatch the larvae (caterpillars) feed on the leaves and fruits. In the process Pipevine fruits © 2008 Neal Kramer of eating the leaves the larvae ingest toxins contained in the leaves. These toxins do not adversely affect the swallowtail caterpillars, but make them poisonous to would be predators. A fat caterpillar courtesy of Bay (How cool is that!) Natives (see link above)