Pale Lobelia

Lobelia appendiculata A.DC. in DC. Prodr. 7: 376. 1839
Annual; stem erect, 15-90 cm. high (averaging about 30-50 cm.), unbranched, or often with 1-6 filiform upright axillary branches, green, or with a brownish-red tinge near the base, nearly glabrous, except for a few chaffy hairs near the base, on the angles formed by the decurrent leaf-bases; cauUne leaves 1-15, very thin in texture, practically glabrous, sessile or even somewhat clasping, the blades ovate to oblong, broadest below the middle, obtuse at tips or the upper short-acute, all irregularly sharply and finely toothed, 1-3 cm. wide by 2-7 cm. long, 2-2.5 (3) times as long as wide, the upper little smaller, with an abrupt change to the bracts of the inflorescence; basal leaves if present 1-5, obovate, obtuse, nearly smooth, narrowed at the base; inflorescence 5-30 cm. long (averaging about 15 cm.), usually distinctly secund, 15-40(70-) flowered; pedicels curved, 4-6 (11) ram. long in fruit, nearly glabrous or roughened, each with a pair of inconspicuous bracteoles near the base; flower-bracts smooth, linear, callose-denticulate, longer than the pedicel (8-18 mm. long or less); flower 10-15 ram. long (averaging 12 mm.), including hypanthium; corolla fight violet-blue or lilac, glabrous without, pubescent within at the base of the lower lip, the tube 4-5 mm. long, entire except for the dorsal fissure, the lobes of the lower lip broad-ovate, about as long as the tube, the two upper lobes shorter, lanceolate; filament-tube 2.0-4.0 mm. long, somewhat deflexed, nearly glabrous, the filaments connate about half their length; anther-tube 1.9-2.5 mm. long, bluishgray, the two smaller anthers slightly tufted, the three larger usually pubescent on the backs; hypanthium in anthesis short-campanulate, glabrous, becoming long-campanulate in fruit, with a smooth, inflated appearance, 3.5-6 ram. wide by 5-6 ram. long; capsule two-thirds inferior or more, horizontal or somewhat pendent at maturity; calyx-lobes entire, narrowly lance-linear, 4-8 mm. long, smooth or ciliate; seeds oblong, 0.4-0.6 mm. long.
TvPK locality: Texas, Drummond (herb. Benlh.).
Calyi-Iobes strongly ciliaf e; auricles at ba,se of calyx-lobes
ciliate, foliaceous, scarious-tippcd. 42o. /.. apptnJiculata var. appendiculata.
Calyx-lol>es glabrous; auricles none. 426. /.. appendiculata var. Catlingeri.
42a. Lobelia appendiculata var. appendiculata McVaugh, var. nov.
Lobelia appendiculata A. DC. lex:, cit., as to type. Dortmannia appendiculata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 972. 1891.
Calyx-lobes ciliate, usually strongly so; auricles at base of calyx-lobes present, ciliate, scarious-tipped, often conspicuous and foliaceous, up to 3-5 mm. long.
DisTRiBUTio.v: Southeastern Texas to central Alabama, north to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and eastern Kansas.
42b. Lobelia appendiculata var. Gattingeri (A. Gray) McVatigh, comb. nov.
lobelia Catlingeri A. Cray, IVk-. Am. Acajl. 17: 221. 1882. Dortmannia Cattingerii Kunize, Kcv. Gen. 972. 1891.
Calyx-lol>c3 glabrous, ciliate; auricles none or very minute.
Typ« locality: Lavergne, Rutherford Coimly. Tennessee, Curtia 1037 (Gray!). DuTKUtUTics: Cedar barrens of central Tcnneswc.

Lobelia appendiculata is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name pale lobelia. It is found in the south-central portion of North America.