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Aristolochia fangchi is a climbing vine from southern China and northern Vietnam, known in Chinese medicine, and it is notorious for causing kidney failure when mistaken for a related herb. It is a species of climber that is grown mainly for its native and medicinal interest rather than as a garden favourite.
Aristolochia fangchi (Chinese: 广防已 guang fang ji), is a species of flowering plant in the family Aristolochiaceae, native to Vietnam and southeast and south-central China.
In 1993, a series of end-stage renal disease cases were reported from Belgium associated with a weight loss treatment, where Stephania tetrandra (Chinese: 粉防己 fen fang ji) in a herbal preparation was accidentally substituted with Aristolochia fangchi. More than 105 patients were identified with nephropathy following the ingestion of this preparation from the same clinic from 1990 to 1992. Many required renal transplantation or dialysis.
Aristolochia arborea · California dutchman's pipe · Aristolochia cucurbitifolia · Aristolochia cucurbitoides · Aristolochia forrestiana · Aristolochia hainanensis · Aristolochia hyperxantha · Aristolochia obliqua · Aristolochia quangbinhensis · Aristolochia scytophylla · Aristolochia stevensii · Pipevine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aristolochia fangchi by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
