4* 
LOBELIA MICRANTHA. 
Small-fiowered Lobelia, 
PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA— Nat. Ord. CAMPANULACEJE. 
Gen. Char — Corolla tubo hinc fisso (raro integro) ; limbo quinquepartito. 
Antherce connatae. Stigma bilobum (nunc indivisura). Capsula bilocu- 
laris (raro trilocularis), apice supero bivalvi — Herbce, vel Suffrutices, pk" 
rwque lactescentes. Folia alterna, Integra vel laciniata, raro Jistuhsa. Fhres 
racemosi, terminales vel axillares, solitarii, pedicellis bibracteatis vel nudis. 
Antherce scepius barbatce.—BR. 
Div. I. — Pedunculi axillares unijlori. Herbacew. 
Lobelia mkrantha; glabra erecta, caule acute triquetro, foliis ovato-ro- 
tundatis repando-dentatis subpetiolatis, pedunculis folio lon^oribus, 
capsula obovata. 
Root small, fibrous, annual. Stem 4-6 inches high, erect, acutely 3-angled, 
with the angles subulate, quite glabrous, sometinxes simple, more fre- 
quently branched near the base, the branches spreading, from 1 to 4 
inches in length. Leaves alternate; the hrver ones nearly orbicular, the 
upper ones broadly ovate, the supreme ones ovate, all glabrous or very 
slightly pilose above, with their margins repando-dentate, the base atte- 
nuated into a shortish foot-stalk. 
From the axils of the leaves, towards the upper part of the stem, arise the 
solitary slender fower-stalks, about an inch long, and bearing single 
flowers. 
Calyx glabrous, green, with 5 spreading subulate segments. Corolla ex- 
tremely minute, pale purplish, pubescent. Tube cylindrical, slit down 
on the upper side for nearly the whole length, and exposing the stamens. 
Limb in 2 lips, upper one of 2 small, acute teeth, pointing obliquely up- 
wards ; the lower one of 3 ovate, acute slightly deflexed segments, with- 
in of rather a deep purple colour with a transverse pale band, at the 
base having 2 oblong pale green swellings or glands. Stamens united 
into a sheath by the filaments and the anthers, about as long as the tube. 
Anthers purplish, each with a tuft of white hairs at the extremity. 
Pollen yellow. Germen inferior, ovate, attenuated at the base, and marked 
with 5 elevated ribs. Style cylindrical, as long as the stamens. Stigma 
fringed, purplish. Capsule obovate, terminated by the persistent seg- 
VOL. I. 
