Lobelia zeylanica L.

Species

Angiosperms > Asterales > Campanulaceae > Lobelia

Characteristics

Creeping to ascending herb, 20-90 cm, stems often rooting at the lower nodes, terete, higher up sometimes angular, glabrous to sparsely hairy. Leaves spirally arranged, ovate to broad ovate, (0.75-)1-6 by (0.5-)1-3.5 cm; base cordate to truncate or sometimes decurrent, apex acute, sometimes blunt, margin subentire to subdentate to repand-dentate; upper surface puberulous or glabrous, underneath puberulous, especially the nerves, or glabrous; petiole terete, 1-20 mm, sometimes puberulous to appressed-hairy. Flowers axillary, 7-12 mm. Pedicels terete, 1-2 cm, ebracteolate. Calyx lobes lanceolate to oblong triangular, acute, patent-hairy, sometimes glabrous, 3-5 by 0.5 mm, entire to subdentate, with curved hairs to dentate-ciliate. Corolla 5-9 mm, purplish to pale or creamy, inside glabrous to subglabrous with two gibbosities, dorsally slit to the base; dorsal lobes connate with the lateral ones for 2-3.5 mm, lateral lobes connate with the ventral one for 4-7 mm; dorsal lobes oblong or elliptic, 2.5-3 by 1-1.5 mm, falcate, entire to wavy, acute, outside on the nerves with long hairs, lateral and ventral lobes spathulate to ovate, 1-2 by 1-2 mm, entire, at the centre of the ventral lobe a white spot surrounding a purple stripe. Filaments 3-5 mm, for more than 0.75 free; free parts narrowed towards the base, all of equal width, haired; anthers from dorsal to ventral 1-1½ mm to 0.75-1 mm, hairy; all anthers at the apex with a hair tuft. Ovary cupular to obconical, 1.25-3 by 1 mm, scattered hairy to hairy (glabrous in specimens from Hainan); style glabrous. Capsule obconical to oblong ovate, 3-7 by 2-4 mm, with distinct nerves and a membranous pericarp. Seeds trigonous, 0.4 by 0.3 mm, light-brown; after withering the nerves and remains of the placenta persistent.
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Herbs, succulent. Stems prostrate, 4-angular, 20-60 cm, glabrous or puberulent, laxly branched, lower nodes rooted. Leaves spirally alternate; petiole 3-12 mm, puberulent; blade broadly deltoid-ovate or ovate, 1-5.4 × 0.8-3 cm, abaxially sparsely scaberulose along veins, adaxially glabrescent, base truncate, shallowly cordate, or broadly cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acute or obtuse. Flowers solitary and axillary; pedicels 0.5-2.8 cm, sparsely puberulent, bracteoles 2 at base, 1-2 mm, sometimes caducous. Calyx campanulate, 2-5 mm, puberulent; lobes linear, narrowly triangular, or narrowly oblong, 3-7 × 0.5-1 mm, ciliate. Corolla 2-lipped, purple, pale purple, or white, 5-15 mm, posterior side divided to base, lobes of upper lip obovate-oblong, those of lower lip broadly elliptic, abaxially sparsely villous along middle ribs. Filaments connate into a tube at 2/3; anther tube 1-1.8 mm, abaxially puberulent, anthers all barbate at top. Ovary inferior. Capsule broadly ellipsoid, obovoid, or oblong, 4-7 × 2-4 mm, obviously veined. Seeds 3-angular, red-brown. Fl. and fr. whole year round.
A herb that lies along the ground. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be 20 cm high. They are 3 angled near the top. The leaves are oval and 2-4 cm long by about 1 cm wide. The flowers occur singly. They are in the axils of leaves. They are yellowish white and sometimes have streaks of violet. The fruit is a capsule and 4-6 mm long. They are 3 sided.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

On shaded grassy grounds and moist places, under everwet climatic conditions. In coffee, tea, and rubber plantations, in open places in primary forest along streams, in shaded ravines, etc., from the lowland up to 1500, rarely 1650-2000 m. Fl. fr. Jan.-Dec.
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By water and streams in ravines at elevations up to 1,500 metres. Often abundantly naturalized along trails in dense forest and also in dry forest, wet clearings, cocoa plantations, pastures, marshes, and swamps, and along roadsides in Fiji.
A tropical plant. In Fiji it grows from sea level to 1,000 m altitude. In Java it grows between 200-1,200 m above sea level. It grows in sunny, humid or lightly shaded localities. In Yunnan.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

The young leaves are eaten either raw or steamed. The plant is claimed to be poisonous to animals.
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Uses. According to OCHSE the young leaves are eaten as 'lalab' (steamed vegetable) with rice.
Uses medicinal poison social use
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants grow from seeds.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 15 - 20
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
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Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Lobelia zeylanica world distribution map, present in Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Province of China, and Viet Nam

Conservation status

Lobelia zeylanica threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:144042-1
WFO ID wfo-0000814634
COL ID 3VSG3
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lobelia zeylanica Lobelia macraeana Lobelia subcuneata Pratia torricellensis Rapuntium zeylanicum Dortmanna succulenta Dortmanna zeylanica Lobelia hirta Lobelia lobbiana Lobelia succulenta Rapuntium succulentum Rapuntium hirtum Dortmanna subcuneata Lobelia affinis Lobelia barbata Pratia ovata Rapuntium affine Lobelia succulenta f. glabra Lobelia gulparae Lobelia hirta Lobelia zeylanica var. lobbiana Dortmanna trigona var. nummulariifolia Lobelia zeylanica var. hirta Dortmanna trigona var. affinis Lobelia affinis var. lobbiana Lobelia succulenta var. lobbiana Dortmanna trigona var. intermedia Lobelia zeylanica f. viridis Lobelia zeylanica f. rubescens Lobelia zeylanica var. zeylanica