C 320 ] 



Lobelia Cardinalis. Scarlet Lobelia, 

 or Cardinal's Flower. 



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G^/} fl»<i Order. 



Sykgenesia Mo nog am i a. 



Generic Charatler. 



Cal. 5-fidus. Cor. l-petala, irregularis. C?j>/".infera2,f. 3-locularis. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 

 LOBELIA cardinalis caule ere&o, foliis lato-lanceolatis fer- 

 ratis, racemo tcrminali fccundo. Linn. Syji. Veg. 

 ed. 14. Murr. p. 801. Ait. Kew. v. 3. p. 284. 

 RAPUNTIUM galeatum virginianum, coccineo flore majore. 



Morif. Hiji. 2. p. 466. /. 5. i. 5. /. 54. 

 TR AC HELIUM Americarum florc ruberrimo, five Planta 

 Cardinalis. The rich crimfon Cardinal's Flower. 

 Park. Parad. p. 356. /. 355 . 



This fpecies of Lobelia, fo eminently difiinguifhed for the 

 richnefs of its fcarlet bloffoms, is a native of the colder as well 

 as warmer parts of North- America. Parkinson, who cul- 

 tivated it in 1629, informs us that he received plants of it from 

 France for his garden, and that " it groweth neere the river of 

 Canada, where the French plantation in America is feated." 



It is a hardy herbaceous plant, growing in favourable fitua- 

 tions to the height of three or four feet; the main fpike of 

 flowers which terminates the (talk, is often a foot in length ; 

 by the time that mod of its flowers are blown, fide branches 

 fhoot out, and flower ; fo that the plant continues in bloom 

 fix weeks or two months : if the Autumn prove favourable, 

 the plant with us produces plenty of feed in the open ground; 

 to infure its ripening, fome place pots of it, when blowing, 

 in the greenhoufe or flove. 



Beautiful and hardy as this plant is, and long as it has been 

 introduced to this country, we do not find it generally in 

 gardens ; we attribute this to its having, in a greater degree 

 than many other plants, a partiality for a particular foil ; m 

 certain diftricls, where the foil is ftiff and moid, it grows as 

 freely as any weed, in other foils it is perpetually going off: 

 it is alio one of thofe plants whofe roots require to be often 

 parted ; if this be done every Autumn, and they be planted in 

 a ftiff loam, the lituation fomewhat moift and ihady, this very 

 defirabie plant may be had to grow and bloffom in perfection. 

 It flowers from the latter end of July to October. 

 Is increafed by parting its rootsj by cuttings of the ft*** 

 and from feed. 



