About Aristolochia watsonii Wooton & Standl.
Aristolochia watsonii, commonly called Watson's Dutchman's pipe, southwestern pipevine, Indian root, or snakeroot, is a perennial plant in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae. It grows in the Arizona Uplands section of the Sonoran Desert. This small plant is inconspicuous and hard to spot, but it can be located by tracking pipevine swallowtails (also called blue swallowtails, Battus philenor), which lay their eggs on this species. Aristolochia watsonii ranges from Arizona to western Texas, growing in mountains at elevations between 600 and 1,400 meters (2,000 to 4,500 feet). All parts of this plant are toxic to humans. Historically, Native Americans used this plant to treat snakebites, which is the origin of its common names Indian root and snakeroot. Today, it is sold at some native plant nurseries, as it works well as a landscape plant for butterfly gardens.
