''Lobelia'' () is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s comprising 415 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan . They are known generally as lobelias.''Lobelia''.
USDA PLANTS. Starr 080716-9272 Lobelia boninensis

Description

The genus ''Lobelia'' comprises a substantial number of large and small annual, perennial and shrubby species, hardy and tender, from a variety of habitats, in a range of colours. Many species appear totally dissimilar from each other. However, all have simple, alternate leaves and two-lipped tubular flowers, each with five lobes. The upper two lobes may be erect while the lower three lobes may be fanned out. Flowering is often abundant and the flower colour intense, hence their popularity as ornamental garden subjects.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Lobelia'' was first formally described in 1753 by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in ''

Species plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

'' and was named after the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

botanist

Matthias de Lobel Mathias de l'Obel, Mathias de Lobel or Matthaeus Lobelius (1538 – 3 March 1616) was a Flemish physician and plant enthusiast who was born in Lille, Flanders, in what is now Hauts-de-France, France, and died at Highgate, London, England. H ...

(1538–1616)., p. 89 ''Lobelia'' is probably the base form from which many other lobelioid genera are derived; it is therefore highly

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

and not a good

in a

cladistic Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups (" clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived char ...

sense. For example, the Hawaiian species (see

Hawaiian lobelioids The Hawaiian lobelioids are a group of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, subfamily Lobelioideae, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the largest plant radiation in the Hawaiian Islands, and indeed the ...

), currently classified in several genera, originated from a single introduction to a now-submerged

Hawaiian Island The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Ku ...

15 million years ago, probably from an Asian ''Lobelia'' in ''Lobelia'' subg. ''Tupa''. A

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

study concluded that local species of'' Hypsela, Isotoma'' and ''

Pratia ''Pratia'' is a formerly recognized genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae, native to Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Along with other genera, such as ''Hypsela'' and ''Isotoma'', it is now included in ''Lobelia''. Former species i ...

'' should be treated as Lobelia.

Species list

See List of ''Lobelia'' species

Ecology

''Lobelia'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including the

Setaceous Hebrew Character The setaceous Hebrew character (''Xestia c-nigrum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Palearctic realm. It is a common specie ...

Cultivation and uses

Several species are cultivated as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s in gardens. These include ''

Lobelia cardinalis ''Lobelia cardinalis'', the cardinal flower ( syn. ''L. fulgens''), is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States ...

'' syn. ''Lobelia fulgens'' (cardinal flower or Indian pink), ''

Lobelia siphilitica ''Lobelia siphilitica'', the great blue lobelia, great lobelia, or blue cardinal flower, is a plant species within the family Campanulaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial dicot native to eastern and central Canada and United States. There are t ...

'' (blue lobelia), and ''

Lobelia erinus ''Lobelia erinus'' (edging lobelia, garden lobelia or trailing lobelia) is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae, native to southern Africa. Description It is a low growing, prostrate or scrambling herbaceous perenn ...

'', which is used for edging and window boxes.

Hybrids

Numerous

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s have been produced, notably ''Lobelia'' × ''speciosa'', a hybrid derived from ''L. fulgens'', ''L. cardinalis'' & ''L. siphilitica''. The term "fan hybrids" is also used. This plant is borderline hardy and requires fertile, moist soil. It is suitable for summer

bedding Bedding, also known as bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environm ...

schemes or growing in containers. The cultivars 'Kompliment Scharlach' and 'Pink Elephant' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Traditional medicine

The species used most commonly in modern herbalism is ''

Lobelia inflata ''Lobelia inflata'', also known as Indian tobacco or puke weed, is a species of ''Lobelia'' native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada (Nova Scotia to southeast Ontario) south through the eastern United States to Alabama and west ...

'' (Indian tobacco). Use of lobelia for

cardiovascular diseases Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

may cause

adverse effects An adverse effect is an undesired harmful effect resulting from a medication or other intervention, such as surgery. An adverse effect may be termed a "side effect", when judged to be secondary to a main or therapeutic effect. The term complica ...

. Lobelia has been used as " asthmador" in Appalachian

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

. Two species, ''L. siphilitica'' and ''L. cardinalis'', were once considered a cure for

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

. Herbalist

Samuel Thomson Samuel Thomson (9 February 1769 – 5 October 1843) was a self-taught American herbalist and botanist, best known as the founder of the alternative medicine, alternative system of medicine known as "Thomsonian Medicine", which enjoyed wide popul ...

popularized medicinal use of lobelia in the United States in the early 19th century.

Adverse effects

Many members of the genus are considered poisonous, with some containing the toxic principle

lobeline Lobeline is a pyridine alkaloid found in a variety of plants, particularly those in the genus ''Lobelia'', including Indian tobacco (''Lobelia inflata''), Devil's tobacco (''Lobelia tupa''), great lobelia (''Lobelia siphilitica''), ''Lobelia chin ...

. Because of lobeline's similarity to

nicotine Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...

, the internal use of lobelia may be dangerous to susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with cardiac disease. Excessive use will cause nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended for use by pregnant women and is best administered by a practitioner qualified in its use. It also has a chemical known as lobellicyonycin, which may cause dizziness.

Chemical constituents

Extracts of ''

'' contain

and those from ''

Lobelia chinensis ''Lobelia chinensis'', commonly known as Asian lobelia, Chinese Lobelia, and Herba Lobellae Chinensis, is a species of flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where ...

'' contain

apigenin Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. S ...

lobelanine Lobelanine is a chemical precursor in the biosynthesis of lobeline Lobeline is a pyridine alkaloid found in a variety of plants, particularly those in the genus ''Lobelia'', including Indian tobacco ('' Lobelia inflata''), Devil's tobacco ('' L ...

, isolobelanine,

lobelanidine Lobelanidine is a chemical analog of lobeline Lobeline is a pyridine alkaloid found in a variety of plants, particularly those in the genus ''Lobelia'', including Indian tobacco ('' Lobelia inflata''), Devil's tobacco ('' Lobelia tupa''), great ...

quercetin Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor a ...

coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...

glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. The name was o ...

s and other

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

Mexican spurred lobelias

About eleven species native to Mexico and Central America have spurs on the flowers. These spurred lobelias appear to form a monophyletic group. Most have been classified in the genera ''Heterotoma'' (or sometimes ''Calcaratolobelia''). However, since their closest relatives such as ''

Lobelia anatina ''Lobelia anatina'', commonly known as Apache lobelia or south western lobelia, is a small herbaceous plant in the family ''Campanulaceae The family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species i ...

'' are in ''Lobelia'', Koopman and Ayers classify them in ''Lobelia''.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q158182 Garden plants Medicinal plants Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Campanulaceae genera