Contains 14 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
The genus Lobelia is very species rich and its circumscription requires revision with respect to other similar but segregated genera (Antonelli 2008; Lagomarsino et al. 2014; Chen et al. 2016).
Classification
Citation
LOBELIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 929. 1753.
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TYPE: Lobelia cardinalis Linnaeus 1753. Typified by M. L. Green, Prop. Brit. Bot. 184. 1929.
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobelia amoena | Southern Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia batsonii | Batson’s Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia boykinii | Boykin’s Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia canbyi | Canby’s Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia cardinalis var. cardinalis | Cardinal Flower | |||
| Lobelia elongata | Longleaf Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia flaccidifolia | ||||
| Lobelia georgiana | ||||
| Lobelia glandulosa | Glade Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia inflata | Indian-tobacco | |||
| Lobelia nuttallii | Nuttall’s Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia puberula | Downy Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia siphilitica | Great Blue Lobelia | |||
| Lobelia spicata | Pale Spiked Lobelia |
Identification Key
1. Leaves near the base of the plant broadly ovate to semi-orbicular, 1-2 times long as wide, the blade base abruptly tapered or truncate to a distinct petiole
2
1. Leaves near the base of the plant linear to ovate, 2.1-50 times long as wide, the blade base acute to gradually tapered, the petiole indistinct to distinct
3
2. Leaf blade coarsely dentate, sinuate-crenate, to incised-dentate, ovate to semi-orbicular, truncate-cuneate to cordate at the base; fruit 6-7 mm long
2. Leaf blade entire to sinuate; fruit 2-4 mm long
3. Plants 0.4-2 m tall; stems 2-8 mm wide at base; cauline leaves (at least larger ones) 8-65 mm wide, 25-200 mm long
4
3. Plants 0.3-1.2 m tall; stems 1-5 mm wide at base; cauline leaves 0.5-8 mm wide, 10-50 mm long
9
4. Leaves to 18 cm long and 6 cm wide; corolla pink to red (rarely white), 2.5-5 cm long; filament-tube 13−33 mm long
4. Leaves to 10 cm long and 4 cm wide; corolla white, lavender, to blue, 0.7-3 cm long; filament-tube 2-15 mm long
5
5. Auricles very large and conspicuous, covering almost half of calyx tube; lower corolla lip often short-pubescent basally near the throat
5. Auricles smaller, less than 1/4 length of calyx tube or absent; lower lip of corolla mostly glabrous basally near the throat (exterior of tube can be pubescent)
6
6. Stems usually densely pubescent throughout (also within inflorescence), but occasionally sparsely pubescent to almost glabrous; calyx lobes lanceolate and mostly erect, typically not flexuous or widely spreading; margins of calyx lobes often ciliate, occasionally glabrous; calyx tube densely hirsute to glabrous; auricles present or absent; corolla tube usually pubescent on the outside, rarely glabrous
6. Stems sparsely (rarely moderately) pubescent to glabrous, usually hairier at base; calyx lobes linear or lanceolate and erect or spreading or flexuous (especially the tip, sometimes twisted); margins of calyx lobes glabrous; calyx tube smooth to verrucose, very rarely sparsely hirsute; auricles absent to almost obsolete; corolla tube glabrous or sparsely pubescent in lines
7
7. Leaves thick or thin, whitish to greenish underneath; uppermost leaves entire or toothed; calyx segments entire, not toothed
7. Leaves typically thick with a parchment-like texture and sometimes with a bluish to gray-green sheen when dried (typically strongly glaucous underneath); uppermost leaves distinctly toothed; some calyx segments with a few slender, flexuous teeth (at least on some flowers)
8
8. Calyx tube long-hirsute to glabrous; corolla tube glabrous or pubescent in lines externally, lower lip of corolla distinctly pubescent with villous hairs on upper surface near throat of tube
8. Calyx tube usually glabrous, rarely with a few scattered chaffy hairs; corolla tube glabrous externally, lower lip of corolla typically glabrous on upper surface near throat of tube, but occasionally papillate or minutely pubescent with very short hairs;
9. Stems subscapose, principal leaves basal (or rarely in the bottom quarter of the plant height) and large and present at flowering, those along the stem usually few, bract-like, and very strongly reduced and very small relative to the basal ones
10
9. Stems leafy, those along the stem numerous to few and only gradually reduced upwards, basal leaves present or absent at flowering (absent if stem appearing subscapose)
11
10. Calyx lobe sinus with small auricles; corolla not fenestrate; staminal tube 6-11 mm long
10. Calyx lobe sinus lacking auricles; corolla fenestrate (lateral slits near base betwixt calyx lobes); staminal tube 3-5 mm long
11. Stem leaves <1.1 mm wide
11. Stem leaves >1.3 mm wide
12
12. Leaves 3-5 times longer than wide, <3.1 cm long,
12. Leaves 6-24 times longer than wide, usually at least some >3 cm long
13
13. Flowers 5-10 mm long; staminal tube 2.5-3.5 mm long
13. Flowers 12-30 mm long; staminal tube 5-8 mm long
14
14. Annual, usually drying pale to light greenish; stem mostly straight; upper cauline leaves subentire to obscurely toothed; pedicel with two conspicuous linear, foliaceous, acute-tipped bracteoles borne above the base of pedicel; corolla tube usually not fenestrate
14. Perennial, usually drying with darker green; stem often slightly zigzagged; cauline leaves prominently denticulate; pedicel with inconspicuous gland-tipped, oval to oblong bracteoles borne at base and often hidden by bract; corolla tube fenestrate
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||