''Vincetoxicum hirundinaria'', commonly named white swallow-wort, is a long-lived

herbaceous perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

of the genus ''

Vincetoxicum ''Vincetoxicum'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Although the species in ''Vincetoxicum'' have sometimes been included in ''Cynanchum'', chemical and molecular evidence shows that ''Vincetoxicum'' is more closely related to ''Tylo ...

'' in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

Etymology

The generic name ''Vincetoxicum'', in Latin meaning ‘conqueror of poison’, derives from the traditional use of this plant as an antidote to poisons. The Latin species name ''hirundinaria'' (from ''hirundo'', meaning swallow) and the common name ''white swallow-wort'' refer to its seedpods, that are reminiscent of a swallow's wing, or tail.

Description

''Vincetoxicum hirundinaria'' can reach a height of . Stem is erect, stout and glabrous. Flowers in whorls form a raceme. They have a diamenter of about . Corolla has five white petals. Calyx is composed by five fused, sharp-pointed sepals. Leaves are opposite, ovate to lanceolate and short-stalked. Fruits reach a length of about 5 cm and contain many seeds showing a tuft of white hairs. Flowering time lasts from June to the end of July.Nature Gate
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Distribution and habitat

This species is native to cliffs and slopes, especially in

calcareous soil Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

s, of continental Eurasia (including some

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

islands). There are introduced populations in North America (

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

). It is not present in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Human culture

''Vincetoxicum hirundinaria'' is a poisonous plant traditionally used in treating diseases and in magic. The plant was mentioned by

Pedanius Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides ( grc-gre, Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης, ; 40–90 AD), “the father of pharmacognosy”, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of ''De materia medica'' (, On Medical Material) —a 5-vol ...

as a traditional plant used by

Dacians The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consid ...

and known as the "herb of animals", believed to open any locked door.

Gallery

File: Apocynaceae - Vincetoxicum hirundinaria.JPG, Close-up on flowers File:Vincetoxicum-hirundinaria-seeds.jpg, Seeds and hairy wool File:Vincetoxicum hirundinaria MHNT.BOT.2009.17.21.jpg, Fruit and seeds File:Cynanchum vincetoxicum — Flora Batava — Volume v20.jpg, Illustration

References

External links

* * hirundinaria Flora of Asia Flora of Europe {{Apocynaceae-stub