Family: Campanulaceae
Lobelia
Citation:
L., Sp. Pl. 929 (1753).
Derivation: After Mathias de Lobel, 1538-1616, physician to William of Orange and then botanist to James I of England.
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Lobelias.
Description:
Inflorescence cymose to raceme-like, with bracts leaf-like or reduced; pedicels shorter to longer than the bracts; calyx with a short tube, persistent; corolla with tube split above, 2-lipped with the upper lip consisting of 2 often much shorter lobes and the lower one of 3 lobes; stamens fused in a column around the style; anthers consisting of 3 slightly longer upper ones with or without hairs and 2 shorter lower ones with terminal hairs; ovary inferior, 2-celled, the style topped by 2 broadly obovate stigma branches eventually protruding above the anther-column.
Fruit a capsule dehiscing mainly loculicidally.
Distribution:
|
Over 300 species, cosmopolitan, but well represented in tropical and subtropical regions.
|
|
|
Biology:
Not Applicable
Key to Species:
|
1. Branches prostrate, decumbent to suberect, much-branched |
|
|
|
2. Stems angled to winged; fruits obconical; plants decumbent to suberect |
|
|
|
3. Pedicels hairy in flower; inflorescence spike-like |
|
L. alata 1. |
|
3. Pedicels glabrous; inflorescence loosely cymose |
|
L. erinus 2. |
|
2. Stems terete or slightly ridged; fruit obovoid |
|
|
|
4. Branches with stout adventitious roots; apex of lower anthers with longer hairs |
|
L. pratioides 5. |
|
4. Branches without adventitious roots; apex of all anthers with long hairs |
|
L. rhombifolia 6. |
|
1. Branches stiffly erect, 1 to few |
|
|
|
5. Fruits subglobose; seeds with membranous wings |
|
L. heterophylla 4. |
|
5. Fruits obliquely obovoid; seeds ridged |
|
|
|
6. Seeds c. 0.2 mm long; lower side of throat of corolla with scattered hairs |
|
L. gibbosa 3. |
|
6. Seeds c. 0.45 mm long; throat of the corolla glabrous |
|
L. simplicicaulis 7. |
Author:
Not yet available
|