ctAss V. ORDER r.] LOBELIA. 287 



elongated, each pedicle with a small bractea about its middle ; capsule 

 sub-globose. 



English Botany, t. 703. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 325. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 114. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 185. 



Root of numerous white branched fibres. Stem erect, simple or 

 branched, from six to eighteen inches high, round, smooth, and some- 

 what succulent, like the rest of the plant. Leaves alternate, somewhat 

 fleshy, entire, with a strong mid-rib, and numerous lateral slender 

 branched veins, the root leaves numerous, spreading around on foot- 

 stalks, of variable length, oblong, ovate, rounded at the extremity, but 

 more or less attenuated at the base, the upper or leaves of the stem 

 sessile, or on short footstalks, ovate, with a short acute point. Inflo- 

 rescence terminating the stem and branches, at first in a close corymbose 

 raceme, at length elongating after flowering in the lower part. Flowers 

 small, white, each on a simple slender stalk, more or less acutely bent 

 about the middle, from whence arises a small ovate-lanceolate bractea. 

 Calyx separating from the germen about half way up, its limb of five 

 angular segments. Corolla very small, somewhat bell-shaped, with a 

 short tube, the limb of five oblong obtuse spreading segments, having 

 five small obtuse scales between each, and at the base of each segment 

 around the mouth of the tube are the five stamens, on short broad 

 filaments. The anthers ovate, of two cells, bursting with two lateral 

 longtitudinal fissures- Style erect, very short. Stigma obtuse. 

 Capsule globose, of one cell, opening at the top with five lanceolate 

 valves, splitting half way down, and curving backwards, closely in- 

 vested in the lower half by the persistent calyx. Seeds numerous, 

 angular, attached by one end to the central globose loose placenta. 



Habitat. — Watery places, especially in a gravelly soil, both inland 

 and near the sea ; not uncommon. 



Perennial; flowering in June and July. 



Brook-weed appears to be found in almost all parts of the world, but 

 does not seem to have been applied to any particular use, except that 

 formerly it was used in some of the incantations and mystic ceremonies 

 of the Druids, and thought a specific in almost all diseases aflFecting 

 pigs. 



GENUS XXIX. LOBE'LIA Linn. Lobelia. 



Nat. Ord. LoBE'LiACEiE. Juss. 



Gen. Char. Calyx five cleft. Corolla irregular, two lipped, five 

 cleft. Stamens united around the pistil. Stigma blunt, mostly 

 two lobed and hairy. Capsule of two or three cells, opening at 



