, 176 : LOBELIA INFLATA. 
‘The connexion of the anthers into a tube has 
caused some ambiguity and difference of opinion, 
as to the place which this genus should occupy, 
‘in the Linnean system. Linneus placed it in his 
order Monogamia of the class Syngenesia. Most 
of our late botanists have very properly remoy- 
ed the plants: of this order from the compound 
flowers, with which they have no natural affinity, 
to Pentandria, which place their number of sta- 
mens authorizes them to occupy. Pursh has pla- 
ced the Lobelias under Monadelphia. The Nat- 
ural order which contains them is the. pane: 
Ragen of Linneeus and | Sussiond fet seem O/ ‘ j Ans JA 
The Lobelia inflata varies in height from six / 
facdivs to two or three feet. The small plants are 
nearly simple, the large ones much branched, 
Root fibrous. Stem erect, in the full sized plant 
much branched, angular, very hairy. Leaves 
scattered, sessile, oval, serrate, veiny and hairy. 
Flowers in spikes or racemes, pedunculated, each 
one in the axil of a small leaf. Segments of the © 
calyx linear, acute, standing on the germ, which is 
oval and striated. Corolla bluish purple, the 
tube prismatic and cleft aboye, the segments 
spreading, acute, the two upper ones lanceolate, 
the three lower ones oyal. Anthers collected in- 
to an oblong, curved body, purple ; filaments 
