[burth-wurt, -wawrt] 
| 1. | any of various plants of the genus Aristolochia, esp. A. clematitis, an Old World species reputed to facilitate childbirth. Compare birthwort family. |
| 2. | any of various other plants believed to aid childbirth. |
| 3. | birthroot. |
[burth-root, -roo
t] | 1. | Also called birthwort, purple trillium. a trillium, Trillium erectum, the roots of which were formerly used in medicine as an astringent. |
| 2. | any of certain other species of trillium. |
| birth·wort (bûrth'wûrt', -wôrt') n. Any of several herbs or woody vines of the genus Aristolochia having showy, malodorous, purplish-brown to yellowish flowers with peculiar or unusual shapes. The European species A. clematitis was used as a folk medicine to aid childbirth. |
birthwort
any plant of the family Aristolochiaceae (order Aristolochiales), which contains five genera of mostly tropical woody vines and a few temperate-zone species. The calyx (outer part of the flower) is three-lobed. The flowers of some species lack petals; those of others are large and foul smelling.
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