LOBELIA FAMILY. Lobeliaceae. 



A still smaller-flowered species, bearing 

 Pale Spi e ^^^^^ j^^^^ ^^.^^^ spikes of pale blue-violet 



Lobelia spicata flowers with a Usually smooth short calj^x. 

 Pale blue= The stem simple and leafy, the light green 



yio\et leaves nearly toothless, lance-shaped (ab- 



July-August j.^jp^i^, gQ ^^ ^l^y Ijj^gg of the plant), or 



oblong, obtuse, but the upper ones nearly linear. 1-4 

 feet high. In dry sandy soil from Me., south to N. Car., 

 and southwest to Ark. and La. 



A small species generally found beside 

 ^ ^ J. T' / ■• brooks, or on wet banks, with slender 



Lobelia kaliiiu ' ' 



Light blue= branching stem, and narrow, blunt-tipped 

 violet leaves sparingly toothed or toothless ; the 



J"'y- upper ones linear. The light blue-violet 



ep em er flow^ers less than ^ inch long and scattered 

 loosely over the spikes. The fruit-capsule not inflated 

 (as Lobelia inflata), but small, and top-shaped or nearly 

 globular. 6-18 inches high. On wet meadows and wet 

 river-banks. Me., south to N. J., and west to Ohio and 

 S. Dak. 



. ^. ^ ^ The commonest species ; growing every- 



Indian Tobacco , . ^ ^ ., . , . f "^ , 



Lobelia inflata ^^'li^re in dry or wet soil, within the wood 

 Light blue= or out on the meadow. An annual with a 

 violet simple or branching slightly hairy stem. 



July-October ^j^^ ^j^j^^ jj^j^^ ^^,^^^ leaves oval pointed, 



and sparingly wavy-toothed, the uppermost very small, 

 narrow, and acute. The tiny flowers scarcely I inch 

 long, varying in color from light blue-violet to pale lilac 

 and even white. The caWx smooth, the inflated, prolate- 

 spheroidal fruit-capsule about ^ inch long. Very acrid 

 and poisonous to taste, and commonly used in medicine. 

 Me., south to Ga., and w^est to Ark. and Neb. 



An aquatic species, smooth, slender, and 

 Water Lobelia yij^-^pi^ stemmed. Leaves all submerged, 



Lobelia i • i t o t i 



Dortmanna thick, linear hollow, and tufted at the 

 base of the stem. Flowers in a loose termi- 

 nal spike, light violet, i inch long. 6-18 inches high. 

 Borders of ponds. N. Eng. to Pa., and northwestward. 



464 



