LOBELIA. 311 



LOBELIA. Lobelia, 



Natural Order Campanacece. Lohdiaceee, Juss. A 

 Genus of the Pentaiidria Monogynia Class. 



MoNsiEuu Charles Plumier, an eminent French 

 botanist of the time of Louis the Fourteenth, gave 

 the name of Lobelia to this family of plants, in 

 honour of Matthias Lobel, of Lisle, who was ap- 

 pointed botanist and physician to James the First 

 of England ; and who had also the superintendence 

 of Lord Zouch's botanical garden at Hackney, 

 during the latter part of the reign of Queen Eliza- 

 beth. 



jMr. Aiton enumerates thirty -four species of 

 Lobelia, in the Hortus Kewensis, eighteen of which 

 are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and seven 

 belong to America, three of which are ranked 

 amongst the most favourite flowers of the curious 

 florists. 



The CardinaFs Flower, Lobelia Cardinalis^ was 

 introduced to the British parterre in the unhappy 

 reign of Charles the First, whose herbalist (Par- 

 kinson) mentions it as a ^* brave plant," in his 



