Tab. 8648. 

 LOBELIA Holstii. 



Tropical East Africa. 



Campanulaceae. Tribe Lobelieae. 

 Lobelia, Linn. ; Benth. et HooJc. f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 551. 



Lobelia Holstii, Engl, in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. vol. xix. Beibl. 47, p. 51 ; species 

 L. coronopifoliae, Linn., affinis sed foliis fere glabris et floribus minoribus 

 facile distinguenda. 



Herba perennis, caulibus adscendentibus vel suberectis 2-3 dm. altis teretibus 

 glabris vel pilis adpressis instructis. Folia inferne sat numerosa, approxi- 

 mata, lanceolata, oblonga vel ovato-lanceolata, apice subacuta et leviter 

 apiculata, basi in petiolum brevern cuneatim angustata, usque ad 4 cm. 

 longa et 1 • 2 cm. lata, margine breviter et obtusiuscule serrata, serraturis 

 apice cartilagineis, costa et nervis lateralibus pagina superiore obscuris 

 inferiore proininulis, glabra vel ad costam (praecipue subtus) plus minusve 

 pubescentia. Inflorescentia a foliis longe remota, laxe racemosa ; bracteae 

 lineares, acutae, 4 mm. longae, 0'5 mm. latae ; pedicelli circiter 1 cm. 

 longi. Beceptaculum late turbinatum, 2 mm. diametro, pilis albis valde 

 adpressis obtectum. Sepala 5, lineari-lanceolata, acuminata, acumine 

 albo 1-25 mm. longo incluso 3 '5 mm. longa, ciliolata. Corolla lilacina, 

 valde bilabiata, tubo cylindrico 9 mm. longo 2*5 mm. diametro posticc 

 nsso, labio superiore 3-lobo, lobis obovato-spatulatis apice leviter apiculatis 

 8 mm. longis 4 mm. latis, inferiore 2-lobo recurvato lobis lanceolatis 

 acutis 3*5 mm. longis 0"75 mm. latis. Stamina 5, filamentis 6 mm. 

 longis rubro-lilacinis glabris, antheris 2 mm. longis vertice penicillatis. 

 Stylus glaber.— W. B. Turrill. 



The interesting Lobelia here figured, though evidently 

 not at all uncommon throughout British East Africa, 

 Uganda, and the northern districts of German East 

 Africa, appears to be restricted to the more mountainous 

 tracts of this region. The strong perennial roots and 

 the aggregation of the leaves at the base of the ascending 

 or suberect stem impart to it the facies of an alpine or 

 subalpine species. The plant of L. Holstii from which 

 our plate has been prepared is one which was raised at 

 Kew from seed sent by Mr. E. Battiscombe from British 

 East Africa early in 1914 and flowered in a frame in 

 September of the same year. Here unfortunately it has 

 failed to ripen its seeds and, having behaved as an 

 annual, has not so far been permanently introduced to 

 cultivation. This species is a member of the section 



February, 1916. 



