Lobelia erinus

Lobelia erinus (edging lobelia, garden lobelia or trailing lobelia) is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae, native to southern Africa.[2]

Lobelia erinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Lobelia
Species:
L. erinus
Binomial name
Lobelia erinus
Synonyms[1]

Description

It is a low growing, 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. About 0.5 to 4.5 inches long inflorescence stems are about 5 inches long, loose racemose inflorescences with many flowers. The hermaphrodite flower is zygomorphic with a length of up to 1 centimeter and quinate with double perianth. The five sepals are fused. The fan-shaped lower lip is trilobed. The color of the crown varies depending on the variety between white, blue, purple, purple, pink or red the center is yellow or white. The five stamens are 3 to 7 millimeters long.[3]

The fruit is a 5–8 mm capsule containing numerous small seeds.[4][5]

Range

The distribution area lies in southern Africa and extends from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the south to Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and the South African provinces.

Cultivation and uses

Lobelia erinus is a very popular edging plant in gardens, especially for hanging baskets and window boxes. In temperate areas of the world, its varieties are popular ornamental plants for gardens and balconies. Some of the varieties are propagated with seeds, other varieties are vegetatively propagated only through cuttings; it depends on whether the varieties are "seedy". It has a particularly long flowering period, from mid spring to early autumn. It is perennial where temperatures remain above freezing, and is 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.[6]

Cultivars

Numerous cultivars have been selected, either with a bushy or a trailing habit, in a wide range of flower colours, including white, pink, magenta ("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',[7] 'Sapphire', 'Rosamund' and 'Riviera Rose'.[4]

In the United Kingdom the following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[8]

  • 'Cambridge Blue'[9]
  • Cascade Series[10]
  • 'Colour Cascade'[11]
  • 'Crystal Palace'[12]
  • 'Mrs Clibran'[13]
  • Purple Star=‘Westpurstar’[14]
  • 'Regatta Midnight Blue'[15]
  • 'Regatta Sky Blue'[16]
  • 'Richardii' syn. Lobelia richardsonii[17]
  • 'Riviera Blue Eyes'[18]
  • 'String of Pearls'[19]
  • Techno Heat Trailing Light Blue Improved=‘Lobstrahob’[20]
  • Waterfall Blue=‘Balobwablu’ (Waterfall Series)[21]
  • Illustration
  • 'Riviera Rose'
  • 'Sapphire'
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References
  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". www.theplantlist.org.
  2. "Lobelia erinus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  3. Erich Oberdorfer : Plant sociology excursion flora for Germany and adjacent areas . In collaboration with Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and supplemented edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , p 899.
  4. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
  5. PlantZAfrica: Lobelia
  6. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  7. Plant of the week: Lobelia erinus 'Crystal Palace'
  8. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 61. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  9. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Cambridge Blue'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  10. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus Cascade Series". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  11. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Colour Cascade'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  12. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Crystal Palace'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  13. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Mrs Clibran'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  14. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Purple Star'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  15. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Regatta Midnight Blue'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  16. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Regatta Sky Blue'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  17. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia richardsonii". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  18. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Blue Eyes". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  19. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus 'String of Pearls'". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  20. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus Techno Heat Trailing Light Blue Improved = 'Lobstrahob' (PBR) (Techno Heat Series)". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  21. "RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus Waterfall Blue = 'Balobwablu' (PBR) (Waterfall Series)". www.rhs.org. Retrieved 25 March 2018.

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