841 



The Lobelia Family. 



(LOBELIACE^.) 



Fruticuls, frutlets or herbs, with alternate, simple, or 

 variously lobed leaves. Flowers solitary axillary, or in 

 terminal spikes or racemes. Corolla irregular, sometimes 

 tubular and often curved; 5-lobed ; when deeply so, 2-lipped. 

 Stamens 5. Anthers long, united edge to edge, forming a 

 column round the pistil which is simple, with its apex cup- 

 shaped or fringed with hairs. Fruit a I or more celled cap- 

 sule opening at the apex. Seeds numerous. 



Nearly 400 species are enumerated as belonging to this 

 family ; they are widely distributed within the temperate and 

 tropical regions of both hemispheres ; two are natives of 

 Britain, and a few are found in North America. The whole 

 of the family contains a strong-scented milky juice, extremely 

 acrid, and poisonous. They are even dangerous to handle, 

 as the juice coming in contact with the eyes causes tem- 

 porary blindness. Isotoma longijlora, a native of the West 

 Indies, is a very poisonous plant, so much so that it is even 

 said to kill horses. Several are, however, under proper 

 prescription, powerful and useful medicines ; such are Lobelia 

 injlata and L. syphilitica^ natives of North America. L. urens, 

 a native of this country, is a dangerous blistering plant. Many 

 are highly ornamental and are much cultivated both under 

 glass and in the open air ; as i^. cardinalis, a native of the 

 Southern United States, and L. splendens, of Mexico, of 

 which there are several various coloured intermediate varie- 

 ties ; while the small shrublet L. Erinus has come into repute 

 as a flower-garden plant. 



In alliance with LoheliacecB is the family of Goodeniacece^ 

 which differs in some technical characters of the flower, 

 chiefly in the stamens being free, and in the whole being 

 entirely destitute of the milk and poisonous qualities. There 

 are about 150 species, chiefly soft shrubs or herbs, which are 

 with few exceptions natives of Australia 5 they have no par- 



