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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Campanulaceae
Lobelia heterophylla

Citation: Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 1:52, t. 74 (1805).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Wing-seeded lobelia.

Description:
Annual herbs with a distinct tap root and often with only one erect stem to 30 cm high, glabrous; leaves subpetiolate with a cuneate base and with elliptic to linear-elliptic or rarely oblanceolate blade at the base of the plant becoming sessile, often stem-clasping and lanceolate to linear-triangular above, 20-60 x 2-11 mm, obtuse and often mucronate, rarely acute, with distant lobes, serrations or teeth terminating in a swelling, sometimes with marginal papillae or rarely hairs becoming glabrous later.

Inflorescence a spike-like thyrse with leaf-like bracts becoming shorter upwards and each with a monochasium reduced to a simple flower in its axil; pedicels upturned when fruiting; sepals shortly connate, the lobes triangular, 3-5 mm long, pointed, with a few short marginal cilia at least when young; corolla 11-18 mm long along the lower lip, the tube pale-yellow and split along the upper side, the upper 2 lobes short and with a tuft of hairs at the apex, the lower median lobe obovate, blue with a yellow patch in front of the throat and larger than the similar 2 lateral lobes; anthers each with a tuft of erect hairs around the apical opening of the anther-column.

Fruit obovoid to subglobose with a truncate apex, 5-7 mm long; seed almost circular in surface view, c. 1 mm long, triangular in section with a membranous wing along each ridge.

image of FSA3_Lobelia_het.jpg Habit and seed.
Image source: fig. 623d in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Distribution:  On dunes often associated with tufts of Triodia spp.

  W.Aust.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: Oct. (3 records).


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: This species is distinguished from L. gibbosa by its lobed lower leaves, almost globose fruits and winged seeds.

Author: Not yet available


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