Lobelia inconspicua A. Rich.

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Lobelia inconspicua

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Lobelia inconspicua

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Lobelia heyneana Roem. & Schult. var. inconspicua (A. Rich.) E. Wimmer
Lobelia maranguensis Engl.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Small, erect to ascending annual herb, mostly less than 20 cm tall; stems triangular and winged, more or less densely hairy. Leaves elliptic to broadly ovate, 7-20 m long, venation prominent beneath, sparsely to densely pubescent, especially on the lower leaves; margin toothed. Flowers in terminal and axillary on pedicels up to 13 mm long. Calyx lobes erect or spreading, 1.6-3.2 mm long with 1-2 pairs of small teeth along the margin. Corolla 2.8-4 mm long, white to pale blue, usually with darker markings. Capsule obovoid to obconical, c. 8-veined.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: inconspicua: inconspicuous, probably referring to the small size of this plant.
Habitat: In upland grassland and woodland, along roadsides and in old cultivation; often on rocky or gravelly soils.
Altitude range: 1200 - 1930 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and northern Malawi. Also in India.
Malawi distribution: N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Monday 8 July 2019
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 198. Under excluded species as a possible misidentification for Lobelia Heyneana (see note under records)

Thulin, M. (1983). Lobeliaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(1) Pages 135 - 136.

Other sources of information about Lobelia inconspicua:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Lobelia inconspicua

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Lobelia inconspicua
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Lobelia inconspicua
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Lobelia inconspicua
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Lobelia inconspicua
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Lobelia inconspicua
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Lobelia inconspicua
JSTOR Plant Science: Lobelia inconspicua
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Lobelia inconspicua
Plants of the World Online: Lobelia inconspicua
Tropicos: Lobelia inconspicua
Wikipedia: Lobelia inconspicua


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Lobelia inconspicua.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=220110, retrieved 16 April 2024

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