A herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 30cm in height. Leaves can be as wide as 15 cm (6inches). The two heart shaped leaves are entire, have a shinny surface and the leaf stem is hairy at the base. The flowers have 3 regular parts and are up to 4cm wide (1.5 inches). They are brown or dark purple. Blooms first appear in early spring and continue into late spring. The flowers are at the base of the plant hidden by the leaves and their color blends in with the leaf litter. Sometimes the flowers are redish sometimes greenish.

Anthelmintic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, irritant, powerfully stimulant, stomachic and tonic (root)

Plants for a Future

Alpha-terpineol, beta-sitosterol, bornyl-acetate, elemicin, geraniol, limonene, methyl-eugenol (rhizome); aristolochic acid (plant)

Chronic chest complaints, asthma, coughs, colds, dropsy, painful spasms of the bowels and stomach, scanty or painful menstruation, infantile convulsions (root); applied as a poultice to wounds and inflammations, whilst a decoction or salve is applied to sores (fresh leaves)