476 ORDER 71. LOBELIACE^E. 



1. LOBE'LIA, L. (In honor of Matthias de Lobd, physician and 

 botanist to James I.) Corolla tubular, irregular, cleft nearly to the base 

 on the upper side, upper lip of 2 separate lobes, lower 3-lobed ; stamens 

 with the anthers united above into a curved tube ; stigma 2-lobed ; cap- 

 sule opening at the. summit; seeds minute. Herbaceous plants, with 

 the fls. axillary and solitary, or in terminal, bracted racemes. 



^ Corolla bright red or scarlet, large Nos. 1, 2 



^ Corolla blue, often pale, or variegated with white. (*) 



* Calyx lobes auriculate at base and often denticulate, (a) 



a Leaves acute or somewhat acuminate Nos. 3 5 



a Leaves obtuse or scarcely acute Nos. 6, 7 



* Calyx lobes not auricled, entire, (b) 



b Leaves caulinc, denticulate. Stem simple Nos. 8, 9 



denticulate. Stem branching.Nos. 10, 11 

 entire. Stem very slender.. . .Nos. 12, Id 



b Leaves radical or nearly so. Stem naked Nos. 14, 15 



1 L. cardiualis L. CARDINAL FLOWER. St. simple, glabrous ; Ivs. oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, slightly toothed, acute at each end, sessile ; fls. in a terminal, bracted, 

 secund raceme ; stam. longer than the corolla. A tall species frequent in mea- 

 dows and -along streams, Can. to Car.W. to 111. St. 2 to 4f high, often quite glab- 

 rous as well as the whole plant. Lvs. 2 to 4' by 8 to 15", usually denticulate. 

 Fls. on short pedicels, few or numerous, in a superb, nodding raceme. Bracts 

 linear-subulate, much shorter than the flowers. Cor. deep scarlet, near 2' in 

 length. JL, Aug. f A variety from Potsdam, N. Y., lias the leaves all entire. 

 Another var. from Mass, has white corollas with more narrow segments. 



2 L. fulgens Willd. MEXICAN CARDINAL FLOWER. St. erect, simple, pu- 

 bescent-; Ivs. pubescent, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, subentiro and revolute at 

 edge ; raceme many-flowered ; stam. the length of the corolla. Cultivated. Even 

 superior in size and splendor to No. 1. Stems 3 to 5f high, racemes 2 to 3f long, 

 f Mexico. (Banks of the Mississippi, Pursh. Probably an error.) 



3 L. syphilitica L. BLUE CARDINAL FLOWER. St. erect, simple; Ivs. oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute or acuminate, unequally serrate, somewhat hirsute ; rac. leafy ; 

 cal. hispidly ciliate, with the sinuses reflexed. if A showy plant, in-wet mea- 

 dows and along streams, U. S. and Can., more common in the "W. States. Stem 

 erect, 2 if high, simple, angular, with short hairs. Lvs. lanceolate, broader at 

 base, acute at each end, somewhat erosely dentate, pilous. Fls. large, (!' long) on 

 short peduncles, each solitary in the axil of an ovate-lanceolate bract. Cor. bright 

 blue or purplish. Caps, half superior. July. 



4 L. glandulosa "Walt. Pubescent or nearly glabrous, simple ; Ivs. linear-lance- 

 olate, rather acute, sessile, glandular-denticulate ; fls. few, rather large ; cal. tube 

 short, hispid or pubescent, lobes lanceolate, cordate or somewhat auriculate at 

 base, mostly denticulate, half as long as the stamens, which are but half the length 

 of the corolla. if In damp barrens, Ya. to Fla. and La. Sts. 18' to 2f high. Lvs. 

 1 to 3' long. Pis. 9" long, blue. Pedicels 2 to 3''. Varies much in pubescence. 

 Sept., Oct. 



5 L. Ludoviciaiia. Hispidly pubescent, strict, erect, simple ; Ivs. small, crowded, 

 oblong-linear, sessile, strongly denticulate; fls. subsessile; cal. truncate at base, 

 densely hispid, segm. ovate-acuminate, half the length of the corolla, densely Jim- 

 briate-toothed. La. (Hale). A plant widely different from the foregoing. Height 

 1 to 2f. Lvs. less than 1' long, 1 to 2" wide, all similar (radical not seen). Cor. 

 blue, 8 to 9" long, hispid. 



6 L. leptostachys A. DC. Glabrous; st. erect, virgate, simple; Ivs. oblong- 

 lanceolate, minutely-denticulate, sessile ; fls. subsessile, small, not secund in a long, 

 slender spike, cal. segm. lanceolate-acuminate, longer than the tube of the corolla; 

 bracts lance-linear, denticulate, longer than the pedicels. Prairies, "W. States to 

 La. St. 1 to 2f high. Lvs. 1 to 2' by 4 to 8". Rac. 6 to 12" in length, the 

 bracts and sepals rather conspicuous. Fls. light-blue, about 4" long. Much re- 

 sembles L. spicata. Jl. 



7 L. puberula MX. Soft puberuknt ; st. erect, simple ; Ivs. ovate-oblong or 

 elliptical, obtuse, sessile, repand-denticulate ; rac. spicate, secund ; fls. large ; cal 

 ciliate, the segments shorter than the tube of the corolla. if Wet grounds, Ohio, 



