Lobelia dentata Cav. APNI*
Description: Slender erect herb, to 40 cm high, glabrous; stems often reddish.
Lower leaves numerous, withering early, ovate, 1–4 cm long, usually 3–10 mm wide, margins deeply cut; upper leaves few, narrow, pinnatifid or toothed; petiolate.
Inflorescence a 1-sided raceme, 8–10-flowered; pedicels 15–40 mm long in fruit. Calyx lobes 1.5–4 mm long. Corolla 15–25 mm long, deep to royal blue, throat paler and ± pilose; tube 4.5–6 mm long; middle lower lobe oblong; 2 upper lobes scarcely as long as tube, recurved. All anthers with an apical brush of hairs. Ovary 1.5–2.5 mm long.
Capsule obliquely obovoid, swollen on upper side, 4–7 mm long, 3–5.5 mm diam.
Flowering: March–November
Distribution and occurrence: On the coast and ranges from Murwillumbah to Batemans Bay district. Also Vic. Grows in woodland and dry sclerophyll forest on sandy soils, often conspicuous after fire.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, CT
Other Australian states: Vic.
Closely allied to L. gibbosa and sometimes considered to be a subspecies of that species.
Text by B. Wiecek Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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