Aristolochia gigantea is a robust, twisting climber that can grow around a sturdy arbor or a tree up to 30 feet tall or higher. This vine has fleshy heart-shaped leaves and large flowers exceeding a foot long and at least 6 inches wide. The flower is astounding, impressive, strange and sinister at the same time: it resembles a giant beefsteak. The mouth of the pipe-shaped flower expands to a huge size and is colored with a maroon and white netting effect. In the 'mouth' there is a central yellow spot where an opening leads into a closed pouch. The back view of the flower superficially resembles a pair of lungs with a canal leading into a stomach-like pouch. The blossom is over 14 inches (36 cm) long. These huge, lemony scented flowers bloom from summer until late winter. (Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. 1999. The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.) (Dimmitt, Mark A. 2000. Flowering Plants of the Sonoran Desert.)
Aristolochia gigantea grows in tropical regions from Panama to Brazil. (Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. 1999. The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.)
Giant Dutchman's Pipe has developed an ingenious way to make the flies do all the pollination work. First, the fly, which is already coated with pollen from another flower it has recently visited, is attracted to the sight and smell of the open flower. As it follows the scent down to the main chamber of the flower, it is prevented from exiting by the stiff hairs from inside the pipe, which traps the insect inside. Since the hairs point downward, the fly must move in that direction. Deep inside the flower, the pollen-covered fly brushes up its head against the flower's receptive stigma, depositing pollen from the previous flower. The next day the flower stops producing the scent that attracted the flies and releases pollen on the captives. Only then does the flower relax the stiff hairs and release the flies to carry the pollen to another flower. (Dimmitt, Mark A. 2000. Flowering Plants of the Sonoran Desert.)
