M rtm
LOBELIA Dortmanna ; foliis linearibus bilocularibus integerrimis, scapo subnudo, floribus racemosis.
LOBELIA Dortmanna. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1318. Huds. A ngl.p. 377. Lightf. Scot. p. 505. t. 21.
With. Bot. Arr. cd. 4. vol. 2. p. 242. CEd. Dan. t. 39. Wïlld. Sp. PI. vol. 1. p. 9 38.
Hoffm. Germ. cd. 2. vol. 1. P . II. p. 166. Smith Fl. Brit. p. 242. Engl. Bot. 1 .140.
Decand. Fl. Fr. ed.3. vol. 3. p. 715. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. 255. Wahl. Lapp. p. 212.
Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 2. p . 211. A lt. Hort. Kew. cd. 2. vol. 1 . p. 336. Svensk Bot.
t. 452. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p. 76.
GLADIOLUS lacustris Dortmanni. Water Gladiole. Raii Syn. * 287.
Dut. Waterlokjes. Fr. Lobelie tubulairc. Germ. Die Wasser-Lobelie. Welsh. Bidawglys dyfrdrig.
Class a n d Or d e r . PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[N a tu r a l Or d e r . CAMPANULACEiE, Juss., Decand., B r ., Hook.']
Ge n . Ch a r . Corolla tubo hinc fisso (raro integro); limbo quinquepartito. Antherce connatas. Stigma bilo-
bum (nunc indivisum). Capsula bilocularis (raro tri-lo c^ apice supero bivalvi. B r .
G e n . Ch a r . Corolla with the tube cleft on one side (rarely entire); the limb five-partite. Anthers connate.
Stigma two-lobed (sometimes undivided). Capsule two-celled (rarely three-celled), two-valved a t the superior
apex. Br.
Ra d ix perennis, carnosa, crassa, præmorsa, fibras nu-
merosas albas simplices emittens.
F olia fere omnino radicalia, submersa, lactescentia, bi-vel
triuncialia, erecto-patentia, linearia, succulenta,
compressa, dorso facieque superna tenuissime
canaliculate, viridia, integerrima, ad apicem recurvata,
compressissima, intus bilocularia, disse-
pimento longitudinali.
Scapus solitarius, magis minusve emersus, pedalis etiam
ad tripedalem, foliis paucis brevibus vel bracteis
foliaceis hie illic instructus, erectus, flexuosus,
teres, fistulosus, viridis, vel viridi-purpurascens.
Flores terminales, remoti, racemosi, penduli, racemis
tri- ad sex-floris.
Ca l y x superus, quinquepartitus, segmentis lineari-su-
bulatis, brevibus, curvatim erecto-patentibus.
Corolla pallide purpureo-caerulea, tubulosa, superne
fissa, apice quinquefida, laciniis duabus superiori-
bus linearibus minoribus, recurvatis, tribus infe-
rioribus his quadruplo majoribus, ovato-lanceola-
tis, rectiusculis.
St am in Aquinque : Filamenta corollæ tubo breviora, in-
sertione inæqualia, scilicet, quatuor infra, umim
supra stylum, pallide purpurascentia ; Antheræ
coalite^ cæruleæ, margine ad apicem pulcherrime
ciliato ciliis albis.
GERMENinferum, obconicum, sulcatum, glabrum ; Stylus
purpurascens, staminibus brevior ; Stigma obli-
quum, bilobum, planiusculum, margine ciliatum.
P e r ic a r p iu m : Capsula plusquam semi-infera, oblonga,
basi angustata ; calyce persistente cincta, bilocularis,
apice supero bivalvi.
Rece pta cula dissepimento longitudinaliter affixa.
S em in a numerosa, oblongo-obovata, fusca, punctis ele-
vatisnotata; Albumen carnosum.
E mbryo inversus, rectus, majusculus; Radicula inféra.
Root perennial, fleshy, thick, abrupt, throwing out numerous
white simple fibres.
Leaves almost entirely radical, submerged, lactescent,
two to three inches long, erecto-patent, linear,
succulent, compressed, slightly grooved on each
side, green, entire, recurved at the extremity and
very much compressed, within two-celled, having
a longitudinal dissepiment.
Sc a p e solitary, more or less rising above the surface o f
the water, a foot or even three feet high, here
and there furnished with a few short leaves on
foliaceous bracteas, erect, flexuose, rounded, fis-
tulose, green, or purplish-green.
Flowers terminal, remote, racemed, pendulous, the
racemes three- to six-flowered.
Ca l y x superior,.five-partite, having the segments linear-
subulate, short, curved and erecto-patent.
Corolla pale purplish blue, tubular, cleft above, quin-
quefid at the extremity, with the two superior
segments linear, smaller, recurved, the three lower
ones four times larger than these, ovato-lanceolate,
straightish.
Stam en s fiv e :. Filaments shorter than the tube o f the
corolla, unequal in their insertion, namely, four
placed beneath, one above the style, pale pur-
; plish; Anthers united, blue, the margin and apex
: beautifully ciliated with white hairs.
G e rm e n inferior, obconical, furrowed; glabrous; Style
purplish, shorter than the stamens; Stigma
oblique, two-lobed, nearly plane, with the margin
ciliated.
P e r ic a r p : Capsule more than half inferior, oblong,
narrowed at the ba se ; surrounded with the persistent
calyx, two-celled, two-valved at the superior
extremity.
Receptacles attached longitudinally to the dissepiment.
Se ed s numerous, oblongo-obovate, brown, marked with
elevated d o ts; Albumen fleshy.
Embryo inverted, erect, rather large; Radicle inferior.
Fig. 1. Front view of a flower. Fig. 2. Flower deprived o f its corolla. Fig. 3. Stigma. Fig. 4 Single anther.
Fig. 5. Section of a leaf, to show the bilocular structure. Fig. 6. Capsule, natural size. Fig. 7. The same
magnified. Fig. 8. Section of a capsule. Fig. 9- Side view of a capsule opening at the extremity. Fig. 10.
Front view of the same. Fig. 11. Seed. Fig. 12. Section of a seed, to show the embryo:—all but Jig. 6.
more or less magnified.
As the Lobelia urens (already figured in this work), the only other British species of this genus, is an inhabitant
of the southern parts of our island, so is the present individual confined to the northern districts; there being sufficiently
plentiful near the margins of still lakes: the leaves being wholly under water, and the scape, more or
less immersed, accommodating itself to the depth of the lak e ; in all cases the flower rising above the surface. In
the little wild lake near the Inn at Aviemore, North Britain, where the Nuphar pumila grows in the greatest
abundance, I have seen the pale and delicate blossoms of this Lobelia mixed with the dark green leaves and deep
yellow flowers of the Nuphar, rising in spots where the water was full three feet deep : the flowerstalk being five,
or six inches taller.
The structure of the inflorescence is not very dissimilar to that of Lobelia urens ; but that of its leaves is widely
different not only from those of its congener, but also from the foliage of almost every other known plant: for
they are composed of two parallel tubes, recurved, and remarkably compressed a t the extremity. The scape is
formed of a simple tube. The capsule is, as Mr. Brown justly observes, two-valved in the superior extremity; the
valves however soon meet with a check in the centre, in consequence of the dissepiment, which does not split; and
the opening is much deeper down the sides of the superior part of the capsule.
Upon the continent of Europe, as in Britain, this plant is almost confined to the northern countries, but hardly
extending into Lapland; at least Wahlenberg suspects Linnreus (who only states it to be found in one place, and
without flowers, in the south of that department,) may have mistaken the leaves of Isoetes lacustris for it. In
France it is very rare, having been only seen near Liege. In America, Michaux describes it as a native of
Hudson’s Bay; and my excellent friend, F. Boott, Esq., has sent me very, fine specimens from the neighbourhood
of Boston, differing in no respect from our plant.
With us, the Water Lobelia flowers in July and August. The specimen here figured was gathered during the
latter month, in Loch Achray, by Miss Collett of Haveningham, Suffolk.
The genus Lobelia was named in honour of Matthias de Lobel, or L’Obel, a native of Flanders, who was naturalized
in England, and became the author of several learned botanical works. I t is the Rapuntium of Tournefort
and Grertner. The original Lobelia of Plunder is the Sceevola of Linnaeus.