Chinese researchers have discovered a new plant species of Aristolochia in Wenshan city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The new species, Aristolochia wenshanensis, was jointly found by a research team from the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the local nature reserve. It was named after the city where it was discovered.

The Aristolochia wenshanensis can be distinguished by its flower color, texture and the shape of its leaf base, said Cai Lei, the team's researcher from the CAS.

By now, only two distribution sites of the species in southeast Yunnan Province have been found. With a small population, the plant is often used in folk medicine to treat stomachaches.

The research results have been published in the journal Taiwania. (Xinhua)

Aristolochia wenshanensis

Aristolochia wenshanensis

YANG Mei
General Office
Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS

email: yangmei@mail.kib.ac.cn

(Editor: Yang Mei)