916 LXVIII. GAMPANULACE^. [L^beb 



m. 



Leaves toothed. Pedicels slender, much longer than the leaves. 



Leaves ovate or orbicular, nioatly petiolate, thin ... . . 7, L. menibranacea. 



Leaves sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate 8. h. steuophylla. 



Leaves sessile, ovate or orbicular, prominently toothed 9. Ii. qnadrangnlans. 



Flowei s more or less diceoious, the males with an entire stigma and very 



short ovary with abortive ovules ; females with rudimentary stamens 



or abortive anthers. 



Slender annual. Stamens in the female rudimentary 10. i. dioica. 



Perennial, decumbent or creeping at the base. Anthers in the female 



without pollen or quite abortive. Glabrous. Leaves oblong or 



lanceolate, toothed. Pedicels long .... 11. L. purpurascens. 



1. Ii. gibbosa (fruit swelled out on one side), Labill. PI. Nov. Holl. i. 50 t. 

 71 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. iv. 124. An erect glabrous annual, simple, or with a few 

 erect branches, ^ to Ifft. high. Leaves not numerous, linear, entire or with a 

 few small teeth, or rarely the lower ones broader and deeply toothed. Flowers 

 of a deep blue, in a terminal one-sided raceme, the pedicels usually short, 

 between 2 short linear bracteoles, the subtending bract often wanting, and 

 sometimes the bracteoles also. Calyx-lobes very narrow, about as long as the 

 short broad tube. Corolla variable in size, often above ^in. long, the 3 lower 

 lobes oblong, obtuse or acute, the 2 upper ones shorter, incurved, acute, 

 glabrous, or with a few long hairs. Anthers all tipped with a tuft of short 

 bristles. Capsule from J to nearly -^in. long, broadly and Very obliquely 

 obovate, gibbous on the upper side. Seeds very numerous, variable in size, 

 always much smaller than in L. lieterophylla, with 3 more or less prominent 

 angles, but not winged.— E. Br. Prod. 664 ; A. DC. Prod. vii. 358 ; Hook. f. Fl. 

 Tasm. i. 238; L. Mmyfe'caMZis, E. Br. I.e.; A. DC. I.e.; L. stricta, E. Br. l,e.; 

 L. Brotvniana, Eoem. et Schult. Syst. v. 71 ; A. DC. Prod. vii. 359. 



This species has been separated into three by Baron von Mueller, but as I consider the 

 distinctions scarcely sufi&eient. to distinguish well-marked varieties, I could not follow him, but 

 have given them as varieties with the Baron's descriptions so that persons differing from me 

 may be enabled to recognise them, and keep them separate, if so inclined. 



' Stems somewhat turgid and succulent. 



1. Var. microsperma. Annual, glabrous. Stem usually branchless. Leaves narrow-linear or 

 thread-like, usually entire. Bracts linear, pointed. Pedicels shorter than the flowers. Corolla 

 blue inside ; the upper lobes curved, much-pointed, glabrous; lower lobes narrow-lanceolate, 

 and [Pointed. Fruit much bulged on the upper side. Seeds brown, very minute, almost 

 dust-like. — Lobelia microsperma, F. v. M. Pragm. jt. 41. 



Hah.. Marooohie and Burnett Elver. 



Stems slender, hardly succulent. 



2. Var. Browniana. Annual, glabrous, hardly branched. Leaves linear, the lower ones 

 broader and denticulate. Corolla blue inside ; the upper lobes with minute hairs, pointed ; 

 lower lobes rather acute. Fruit much bulging on the upper side. Seeds very minute, almost 

 dust-like. — Lobelia Bro^oniana, Kcem. et Schult. (P. v. M. Fragm. x. 41). 



Hab.: Maroochie and many other southern localities. 



3. Var. simpUcicaulis. Rather tall. Leaves mostly narrow and indented, the lower ones 

 often lanceolate. Flowers rather large. Corolla blue, rarely pink inside, the upper lobes with 

 minute hairs, all the lobes acute. Fruit slightly bulging on the upper side. Seeds small, ovate- 

 triangular.— LoScZia simpUcicaulis, B. Br. (P. v. M. Fragm. x. 41). 



Hab.: Moreton Bay. 



Few plants are as tenacious of life as this species of Lobelia. The root is most delicate, and 

 only seems of use to the plant up to the time of the first flower opening, after which it appears 

 to die, and only by being fixed in the ground keeps the plant in an upright position. When 

 preparing herbarium specimens of it, they must be scalded before placing in the papers, other- 

 wise they keep elongating and expanding flowers until the plant is thoroug;hly exhausted, which 

 takes, frequently, several weeks. 



2. Ii, dentata (leaves toothed), Cav. Ic vi. 14. t. 522 ; Bmith. Fl. Austr. iv. 

 125. Very nearly allied to, and probably a variety of, L. gibbosa, but weaker, and 

 not so erect, sometimes very scrambling and almost twining, approaching in foliage 

 and inflorescence the L, gracilis. Lower leaves small, ovate, 'deeply cut, the 

 others few, narrow, pinnatifid or toothed. Raceme very loose, the flowers 



