Aristolochia ringens (Gaping Dutchman’s Pipe)

Native to Central America and tropical South America, this evergreen perennial vine grows about 20 to 30 feet long and is cultivated for its unusual flowers. Each flower has an inflated pouch and two elongated lips resembling an open mouth, explaining the name gaping Dutchman’s pipe. The flowers can reach about 7 to 10 inches long. Its leaves feed Polydamas swallowtail caterpillars. The plant contains aristolochic acids, which can damage the kidneys and cause cancer when ingested. It has naturalized in Australia. In Colombia, it occurs between about 330 and 7,000 feet. Photographed in Medellin, Colombia.