248 THE LADIES' FLOWER-GARDEN 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
LOBELIACE.E. 
Oharjcter oy the Order. — Calyx superior, five-toothed, or five- 
parted, seldom entire, with the tube adnate to the ovarium at the 
base. Corolla monopetalouB, irregular, inserted in the calyx, five- 
lobcd, or deeply five-cleft. Stamens five, inserted into the calyx 
alternately with the lobes of the corollas ; anthers cohering ; pollen 
oval. Ovarium inferior, with from one to three cells, but usually of 
two cells. Ovula very numerous, attached to the axis or parietes of 
the fruit. Style simple ; stigma usually two-iobed, surrounded by a 
cup-like fringe. Fruit capsular or baccate, one-two-ccUcd, rarely 
three-celled, many-seeded, dehiscing at the apex. Seeds attached to 
the axis or parietes of the fruit. Embryo straight, in the axis of 
fleshy albumen, with the radicle pointing to the hilum. (G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — The order Lobeliace89 was formerly included in Campanulacesa, but it is distinguished 
from that order by the adhering of the anthers together, and the irregular shapes of the flowers. It also differs 
in the acridity of its milk, which in all the species is dangerous, and in some a deadly poison. The stigma is 
surrounded by hairs like that of the Campanulacese. The flowers of all the plants belonging to this order are 
ornamental ; and they are of various colours, blue, white, scarlet, purple and yellow. The leaves are alternate 
without stipules, and the order contains both herbaceous plants and shrubs. There are numerous genera, but only 
two or three of them contain hardy perennial plants. 
GENUS I. 
LOBELIA, Pohi THE LOBELIA. 
Lin. St/St. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
three roundish segments. Filaments of the stamens combined in the 
upper part ; anthers cohering, and generally bearded. Capsule oval ; 
two-celled ; two-valved ; many-seeded ; opcuing at the apex. 
Okheric Cuaractbr. — Tube of the calyx adhering to the ovary. 
Limb free, five-cleft. Corolla irregular, tubular. Tube cleft on the 
upper side, thickened or ventricose at the base. Limb five-parted, 
bilabiate ; the upper li? in two narrow segments ; the lower lip in 
De.scription, &c. — This genus was named in honour of Mathew Lobel, the author of several works on 
botany, who was bom at Lisle, in 1538, and was afterwards physician and botanist to James I. The genus is 
easily known by its irregular bilabiate flowers. All the species are ornamental, and most of them are natives 
of America. 
1.— LOBELIA KALMII, Lin. KALM'S LOBELIA. 
ExORAviNa.— Bot, Mag. t. 2238 j and our^^. 4, in PI. 67. lated ; flowers in a loose raceme, alternate, and very distant from each 
Spkcific Character. — Stem erect, extremely slender, simple ; other on the rachis. 
radical leaves spatulate ; stem-leaves linear, very slightly denticu- 
Description, &c. — This plant springs from a tuft of small spatulate leaves, and its extremely slender 
stalk frequently rises a foot and a half high. It bears but few flowers, which have a straggling appearance, 
being very distant from each other on the flower-stalk ; but the flowers are pretty in themselves when closely 
examined. The plant is a native of North America, being found in Canada, Carolina, and New York. It was 
introduced in 1820. It is sometimes called an annual in the catalogues, but it is a true perennial, and when 
once planted, will continue sending up fresh flower-stems from the root, every spring, for a great number of 
years. 
