Lobelia erinus

Lobelia erinus
Lobelia erinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Campanulaceae
Subfamily:	Lobelioideae
Genus:	Lobelia
Species:	L. erinus
Binomial name
Lobelia erinus L.
Synonyms
List Dortmannia debilis var. natalensis Kuntze Dortmannia erinoides (L.) Kuntze Dortmannia erinus (L.) Kuntze Dortmannia flexuosa (C.Presl) Kuntze Dortmannia lavandulacea (Klotzsch) Kuntze Dortmannia senegalensis (A.DC.) Kuntze Enchysia erinoides (L.) C.Presl Grammatotheca erinoides (L.) Sond. Laurentia erinoides (L.) G.Nicholson Lobelia acutangula (C.Presl) A.DC. Lobelia algoensis A.DC. Lobelia altimontis E.Wimm. Lobelia bellidifolia L.f. Lobelia bellidifolia Thunb. Lobelia benguellensis Hiern Lobelia bicolor Sims Lobelia bracteolata A.DC. Lobelia candida Link nom. inval. Lobelia chilawana Schinz Lobelia dortmannii Dammann Lobelia erinifolia Salisb. nom. illeg. Lobelia erinoides L. Lobelia erinoides Thunb. Lobelia filiformis f. albiflora E.Wimm. Lobelia filiformis var. filiformis Lobelia filiformis f. multipilis E.Wimm. Lobelia filiformis f. muzandazora E.Wimm. Lobelia filiformis var. natalensis (A.DC.) E.Wimm. Lobelia jugosa S.Moore Lobelia keilhackii E.Wimm. Lobelia kohautiana Vatke nom. illeg. Lobelia lavendulacea Klotzsch Lobelia lydenburgensis E.Wimm. Lobelia melsetteria E.Wimm. nom. inval. Lobelia montaguensis E.Wimm. Lobelia natalensis A.DC. Lobelia nuda Hemsl. Lobelia nuzana E.Wimm. Lobelia oranjensis E.Wimm. Lobelia parvifolia Raf. nom. illeg. Lobelia polyodon E.Wimm. Lobelia procumbens J.Forbes Lobelia pubescens var. simplex Kuntze Lobelia raridentata E.Wimm. Lobelia rosulata S.Moore Lobelia schrankii Sweet Lobelia senegalensis A.DC. Lobelia transvaalensis Schltr. Lobelia trierarchii R.D.Good Lobelia turgida E.Wimm. Lobelia wildii E.Wimm. Monopsis conspicua Salisb. nom. illeg. Monopsis debilis var. conspicua Sond. Monopsis simplex var. conspicua (Sond.) E.Wimm. Rapuntium acutangulum C.Presl Rapuntium bellidifolium (L.f.) C.Presl Rapuntium bicolor (Sims) C.Presl Rapuntium erinoides (L.) Mill. Rapuntium erinus (L.) Mill. Rapuntium kohautianum C.Presl Rapuntium krebsianum C.Presl Rapuntium procumbens (J.Forbes) C.Presl

Lobelia erinus (edging lobelia, garden lobelia or trailing lobelia) is a species of Lobelia native to southern Africa, from Malawi and Namibia south to South Africa.

It is a prostrate or scrambling herbaceous perennial plant growing to 8–15 cm tall. The basal leaves are oval, 10 mm long and 4-8 mm broad, with a toothed margin; leaves higher on the stems are slender and sometimes untoothed. The flowers are blue to violet in wild plants, with a five-lobed corolla 8–20 mm across; they are produced in loose panicles. The fruit is a 5–8 mm capsule containing numerous small seeds.

Lobelia erinus is a very popular edging plant in gardens, especially for hanging baskets and window boxes. It has a particularly long flowering period, from mid spring to early autumn. It is perennial in subtropical climates, but often grown as an annual plant in colder areas. It is widely available in Spring as a young plant, but must be kept indoors until all danger of frost has passed. Numerous cultivars have been selected, either with a bushy or a trailing habit, in a wide range of flower colours, including white, pink, red, pale to dark blue, and purple, often with a prominent white eye. Some of the better known cultivars include 'Blue Moon', 'Gracilis', 'Crystal Palace', 'Sapphire', 'Rosamund' and 'Riviera Rose'.

Form

Flower

Illustration

'Riviera Rose'

'Sapphire'

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Wikipedia