62 
THE LADIES’ FLOWER-GARDEN 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
LOBELIACEaE. 
Character op the Order. — Calyx superior, five-toothed, or five- 
parted, seldom entire, with tlic tube adnate to the ovarium at the 
base. Corolla monopetalous, irregular, inserted in the calyx, five- 
lobed, 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, hut usually of 
two cells. Ovula very numerous, attached to the axis or parietes of i 
the fruit. Style simple ; stigma usually two-iobed, surrounded by a 
cup-like fringe. Fruit capsular or baccate, one-two-celled, rarely I 
three-celled, many-seeded, dehiscing at the apex. Seeds attached to I 
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 Lobeliaceae was formerly included in Campanulaceae, but it is distinguished | 
from that order by the adhering of the anthers together, and the irregular shapes of the flowers. It also difiers I 
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 Campanulaceae. 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 f 
two or three of them contain hardy perennial plants. 
GENUS I. 
LOBELIA, Pohl. THE LOBELIA. 
Lin. Syst. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. — Tube of the calyx adhering to the ovary. 
Limb free, five-cleft. Corolla irregular, tubular. Tube cleft on the 
upper side, thickened or vcntricose at the base. Limb five-parted, 
bilabiate ; the upper lip in two narrow segments ; the lower lip in 
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 ; opening at the apex. 
Description, &c. — This genus was named in honouT of Mathew Lobel, the author of several works on ji 
botany, who was born at Lisle, in 1538, and was afterwards physician and botanist to James I. The genus is jj 
easily known by its irregular bilabiate flowers. All the species are ornamental, and most of them are natives i| 
of America. 
1.— LOBELIA KALMII, Lin. KALM’S LOBELIA. 
Engraving. — Bot. Mag. t. 2238 ; and our^^r. 4, in PI. 67. | lated ; flowers in a loose raceme, alternate, and very distant from each il 
Specific Character. — Stem erect, extremely slender, simple ; other on the rachis. t 
radical leaves spatulate ; stem-leaves linear, very slightly denticu- I I 
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 S 
years. 
