Endodeca serpentaria (L.) Raf.

Virginia Snakeroot; Turpentine Root; Virginia Dutchman's Pipe

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Turpentine Root is a native herbaceous perennial in the Birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Turpentine Root occurs in a variety of habitats from rich hardwood forests, to pine forests, to scrub oak woods, and secondary woods. It has an erect stem up to 1 foot in height. The stem is green and either glabrous or pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and highly variable in shape. Leaves vary from linear lanceolate to ovate in outline. They have truncate or cordate bases and glabrous or pubescent surfaces. Flowers are located near the base of the stem. The flowers are often produced beneath the leaf litter. Some flowers are cleistogamous (they never open). The flower is composed of a leathery calyx and lacks a corolla. Flowers are bent in a curved pipe shape with a flaring rim. Flower color is purple-brown spotted with lighter purple, green, and white. The fruit is a capsule. Turpentine Root is highly variable in leaf shape, and several species/varieties have been described. Individuals in the same population can vary greatly. The thick cord-like roots of Turpentine Root have a strong odor of pine sap, giving the species its common name. The dried root has been used in herbal medicine for things such as snake bite, rheumatism, worms, toothaches, sore throats, fever, sore noses, and colds, as a tonic. Large doses can be fatal.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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