Lobelia

The genus Lobelia comprises a substantial number of large and small annual, perennial and shrubby species, hardy and tender, from a variety of habitats, in a range of colours. Many species appear totally dissimilar from each other. However, all have simple, alternate leaves and two-lipped tubular flowers, each with five lobes. The upper two lobes may be erect while the lower three lobes may be fanned out. Flowering is often abundant and the flower colour intense, hence their popularity as ornamental garden subjects.

The genus Lobelia was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species plantarum and was named after the Flemish botanist Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616).{{cite web|title=Lobelia|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/505361|publisher=APNI|access-date=11 January 2021}}{{cite book |last1=Linnaeus |first1=Carl |title=Species Plantarum |date=1753 |page=929 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/13830#page/371/mode/1up |access-date=11 January 2021}}{{Citation |last1=Johnson |first1=A.T. |last2=Smith |first2=H.A. |last3=Stockdale |first3=A.P. |year=2019|title=Plant Names Simplified : Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning |location=Sheffield, Yorkshire |publisher=5M Publishing |isbn=9781910455067 |name-list-style=amp}}, p. 89

Lobelia is probably the base form from which many other lobelioid genera are derived; it is therefore highly paraphyletic and not a good genus in a cladistic sense. For example, the Hawaiian species (see Hawaiian lobelioids), currently classified in several genera, originated from a single introduction to a now-submerged Hawaiian Island 15 million years ago, probably from an Asian Lobelia in Lobelia subg. Tupa.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.2307/3558341 | title = Seed Coat Morphology and Its Systematic Implications in Cyanea and Other Genera of Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae) | year = 2001 |author1=Craig C. Buss |author2=Thomas G. Lammers |author3=Robert R. Wise |author4=Craig C. Buss |author5=Thomas G. Lammers |author6=Robert R. Wise | journal = American Journal of Botany | volume = 88 | pages = 1301–1308 | pmid = 11454630 | issue = 7 | jstor = 3558341| doi-access = free }}

A New Zealand study concluded that local species of Hypsela, Isotoma and Pratia should be treated as Lobelia.{{Cite journal|last1=Knox|first1=E. B.|last2=Heenan|first2=P. B.|last3=Muasya|first3=A. M.|last4=Murray|first4=B. G.|title=Phylogenetic position and relationships of Lobelia glaberrima (Lobeliaceae), a new alpine species from southern South Island (New Zealand)|journal=New Zealand Journal of Botany|volume=46|issue=1|pages=77–85|doi=10.1080/00288250809509755|year=2008|s2cid=84665178|doi-access=free|bibcode=2008NZJB...46...77K }}

See List of Lobelia species

Lobelia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants in gardens. These include Lobelia cardinalis syn. Lobelia fulgens (cardinal flower or Indian pink), Lobelia siphilitica (blue lobelia), and Lobelia erinus, which is used for edging and window boxes.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}

Numerous hybrids have been produced, notably Lobelia × speciosa, a hybrid derived from L. fulgens, L. cardinalis & L. siphilitica. The term "fan hybrids" is also used.[http://www.paghat.com/lobelia_fanburgundy.html Paghat's Garden: "Fan Burgundy" Cardinal Flower] This plant is borderline hardy and requires fertile, moist soil. It is suitable for summer bedding schemes or growing in containers. The cultivars 'Kompliment Scharlach'{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobelia × speciosa 'Kompliment Scharlach'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/231217/Lobelia-x-speciosa-Kompliment-Scharlach-(Kompliment-Series)/Details | access-date = 2 October 2020}} and 'Pink Elephant'{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobelia × speciosa 'Pink Elephant'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/231186/Lobelia-x-speciosa-Pink-Elephant/Details | access-date = 2 October 2020}}

have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = March 2020 | page = 66 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 25 October 2020}}

The species used most commonly in modern herbalism is Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco).{{cite web | url = http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=2e7354b6-ae71-4dab-90df-c7026eb1c66f&chunkiid=111703 | title = Lobelia | publisher = EBSCO Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Review Board |date=January 2006 | access-date = 2007-09-12}} Use of lobelia for cardiovascular diseases may cause adverse effects.{{cite journal|pmid=20633025|year=2010|last1=Cohen|first1=P. A.|title=Safety of herbal supplements: A guide for cardiologists|journal=Cardiovascular Therapeutics|volume=28|issue=4|pages=246–53|last2=Ernst|first2=E|doi=10.1111/j.1755-5922.2010.00193.x|doi-access=free}}

Lobelia has been used as "asthmador" in Appalachian traditional medicine.AJ Giannini, AE Slaby, MC Giannini. Handbook of Overdose and Detoxification Emergencies. New Hyde Park, NY Medical Examination Publishing,1982. Pp.53-56. {{ISBN|0-87488-182-X}} Two species, L. siphilitica and L. cardinalis, were once considered a cure for syphilis.Guédon, Marie-Françoise (2000). Sacred Smudging in North America. Walkabout Press. Herbalist Samuel Thomson popularized medicinal use of lobelia in the United States in the early 19th century.

Many members of the genus are considered poisonous, with some containing the toxic principle lobeline.{{Cite journal | author = Bergner P. | date = 1998 |journal = Medical Herbalism | volume = 10 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 15–34 | title = Lobelia toxicity: A literature review}} Because of lobeline's similarity to nicotine, the internal use of lobelia may be dangerous to susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women,[http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/lobelia Lobelia], Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and individuals with cardiac disease. Excessive use will cause nausea and vomiting.[https://www.drugs.com/npp/lobelia.html Lobelia], drugs.com It is not recommended for use by pregnant women and is best administered by a practitioner qualified in its use. It also has a chemical known as lobellicyonycin,{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} which may cause dizziness.

File:Lobelane.svg{{Cite journal

| pmid = 21778282

| year = 2011

| last1 = Horton

| first1 = D. B.

| title = Novel N-1,2-dihydroxypropyl analogs of lobelane inhibit vesicular monoamine transporter-2 function and methamphetamine-evoked dopamine release

| journal = Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

| volume = 339

| issue = 1

| pages = 286–97

| last2 = Siripurapu

| first2 = K. B.

| last3 = Zheng

| first3 = G

| last4 = Crooks

| first4 = P. A.

| last5 = Dwoskin

| first5 = L. P.

| doi = 10.1124/jpet.111.184770

| pmc = 3186287

}}]]

File:Isolobelanine.svg]]

Extracts of Lobelia inflata contain lobeline{{cite journal |vauthors=Ma Y, Wink M |title=Lobeline, a piperidine alkaloid from Lobelia can reverse P-gp dependent multidrug resistance in tumor cells |journal=Phytomedicine |volume=15 |issue=9 |pages=754–8 |date=Sep 2008 |pmid=18222670 |doi=10.1016/j.phymed.2007.11.028}} and those from Lobelia chinensis contain apigenin, lobeline, lobelanine, isolobelanine, lobelanidine, quercetin, coumarins, glucosides and other flavonoids.{{Cite journal

| pmid = 24444893

| year = 2014

| last1 = Yang

| first1 = S

| title = Chemical constituents of Lobelia chinensis

| journal = Fitoterapia

| volume = 93

| pages = 168–74

| last2 = Shen

| first2 = T

| last3 = Zhao

| first3 = L

| last4 = Li

| first4 = C

| last5 = Zhang

| first5 = Y

| last6 = Lou

| first6 = H

| last7 = Ren

| first7 = D

| doi = 10.1016/j.fitote.2014.01.007

| s2cid = 26186424

}}

File:Lobelia sessilifolia 4.JPG]]

Image:MtKenyaLobelia.jpg), Mount Kenya]]

About eleven species native to Mexico and Central America have spurs on the flowers. These spurred lobelias appear to form a monophyletic group. Most have been classified in the genera Heterotoma (or sometimes Calcaratolobelia). However, since their closest relatives such as Lobelia anatina are in Lobelia, Koopman and Ayers classify them in Lobelia.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.3732/ajb.92.3.558 | title = Nectar spur evolution in the Mexican lobelias (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae) | year = 2005 | author = Koopman, M. M. | journal = American Journal of Botany | volume = 92 | pages = 558–62 | last2 = Ayers | first2 = T. J. | issue = 3 | pmid = 21652434}}

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• {{Cite book |last1=Everitt |first1=J.H. |last2=Lonard |first2=R.L. |last3=Little |first3=C.R. |title=Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico |publisher=Texas Tech University Press |location=Lubbock |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-89672-614-7}}
• {{cite journal|last=Thomson|first=Samuel|title=Life and Medical Discoveries of Samuel Thomson|journal=Bulletin of the Lloyd Library of Botany, Pharmacy and Materia Medica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y_sVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA191|year=1884|orig-year=1822|volume=III|issue=11}}

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• {{AfricanPlants|Lobelia}}

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Category:Garden plants

Category:Medicinal plants

Category:Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine

Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine

Category:Campanulaceae genera