2 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



cohering in a ring round the style, the 2 lower ones generally 

 bearded at the apex. Style with a fringe of hairs round the stigma. 

 Capsule 2-cellcd, more rarely 3-cclled, opening by 2 (or 3) valves. 



Herbs, with the flowers generally blue or lilac, in racemes, 

 each flower in the axil of a bract, or in some cases of a leaf. 



This genus of plants was named in honour of the Flemish physician Matthias 

 de Lobel. He was the author of various works, particularly that called " Icones 

 riantarum." He was born at Lisle in 1538, became botanist and physician to King 

 James I., and died in London in 1G1G. Throughout life he was a great traveller, and 

 a zealous promoter of his favourite science of botany. 



SPECIES I— L OBELIA DOETMANNA. Linn. 

 Plate DCCCLXI. 

 Rack. Ic. PI. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XIX. Tab. MDCXVIII. Fig. 3. 



Leaves all radical, linear, sub-cylindrical, composed of 2 parallel 

 tubes. Scape simple, leafless or with a very few minute bract-like 

 leaves. Pedicels lougcr than the bracts. Flowers drooping, in an 

 elongated lax simple raceme. Calyx glabrous, obconic, the tube 

 twice as long as the segments. Corolla much longer than the 

 calyx, sub-glabrous, split above, with the 2 upper lobes linear, 

 erect ; under lip longer than the upper, 3-cleft, with the lobes 

 elliptical-oblong, sub-obtuse. Filaments free at the base, anthers 

 included, pilose at the tips, the 2 lowest bearded. 



In lakes with clear gravelly bottoms. Not uncommon in upland 

 districts. It occurs in Wales, Shropshire, Cumberland, and in 

 most of the Scotch counties, excepting those of the South-east, 

 reaching North to Sutherland and the Hebrides, and the Isle of 

 Hoy, in Orkney. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer. 



Root of numerous long simple pure-white brittle fibres. Leaves 

 numerous, glabrous, all in a radical tuft, 1 to 3 inches long, rather 

 thicker than a crow-quill, slightly recurved, obtuse, submerged. 

 Stem solitary, or rarely 2 or 3 from one root, 1 to 2 feet high, hollow, 

 unbranched, frequently with a few scale- or bract-like leaves. 

 Raceme rising out of the water, lax, with 3 to 15 drooping flowers 

 on rather short very slender pedicels. Practs oblong-lanceolate, 

 obtuse, much shorter than the pedicels, herbaceous. Flowers | to 

 1 inch long, very pale lilac. Capsule drooping, broadly elavate, 

 acuminate, the point exceeding the lobes of the calyx, and termi- 

 nated by the style. Plant glabrous. 



Water Lobelia. 

 French, Lobelia de Dortmaim. German, Wast r I 



