Lobelia urens
Encyclopedia
Lobelia urens has the English name of Heath Lobelia or Acrid lobelia. It has a Lusitanian
distribution running from Morocco
along the Atlantic Coast
to Belgium
. It can be found in the islands of south Europe
: Madeira
, Tercia, Falia, Gibralta. In Spain
it is found in grazed pasture of upland valleys between 600 and 915 metres high. In Portugal
it exists along the coastal plain, passing into the wet northern province valleys up to 800 metres. In north France
it is found in lowland coastal areas. It is rare in Britain
and found in South and South West of England
in lowland areas up to 210 metres high. It is not threatened in Europe.
It can be found in communities on grassy heaths, rough pastures, and open heathy woodlands, often found on woodland margins on infertile acid soils. Within this they are found in low-lying terrain, often valley bottoms. The soils are seasonally waterlogged.
The leaves are obovate at the base, and linear to oblong higher up. They are shiny dark green and toothed. They have very short stalks.
The calyx teeth are long and very narrow.
The flowers are up to 1.5cm long, blue-purple. They have 2 narrow lobes on upper lip, and 3 narrow teeth on the lower. The stalks are less than 1 cm, and corrola lobes are less than 2mm wide. It flowers from August until September. The flowers are hermaphrodite
and zygomorphic.
The plant requires bare ground patches in which the seeds can germinate. Germination is improved in soil with a high moisture content. Seeds are produced throughout the year, peaking in production during July and August. Only those that are produced March to June survive.
is similar, but is slender, trailing, an annual
, comes in different colours, the flower stalks are up to 2cm, and the lower 3 corrola lobes are more than 2mm wide.
, Juncus conglomeratus
, Lotus pedunculatus, Mentha aquatica (water mint), Molinia caerulea(Purple Moor Grass), Potentilla erecta, Pulicaria dysenterica
, and Salix cinerea.
Lusitanian
Lusitanian may refer to:*Lusitanians, an ancient people of western Iberian Peninsula.**Lusitanian language, the language of the ancient Lusitanians.**Lusitanian mythology, the mythology of the ancient Lusitanians....
distribution running from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
along the Atlantic Coast
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It can be found in the islands of south Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
: Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Tercia, Falia, Gibralta. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
it is found in grazed pasture of upland valleys between 600 and 915 metres high. In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
it exists along the coastal plain, passing into the wet northern province valleys up to 800 metres. In north France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
it is found in lowland coastal areas. It is rare in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and found in South and South West of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in lowland areas up to 210 metres high. It is not threatened in Europe.
It can be found in communities on grassy heaths, rough pastures, and open heathy woodlands, often found on woodland margins on infertile acid soils. Within this they are found in low-lying terrain, often valley bottoms. The soils are seasonally waterlogged.
Description
It is a more or less hairless perennial which grows up to 60cm tall. It has rhizomes.The leaves are obovate at the base, and linear to oblong higher up. They are shiny dark green and toothed. They have very short stalks.
The calyx teeth are long and very narrow.
The flowers are up to 1.5cm long, blue-purple. They have 2 narrow lobes on upper lip, and 3 narrow teeth on the lower. The stalks are less than 1 cm, and corrola lobes are less than 2mm wide. It flowers from August until September. The flowers are hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
and zygomorphic.
The plant requires bare ground patches in which the seeds can germinate. Germination is improved in soil with a high moisture content. Seeds are produced throughout the year, peaking in production during July and August. Only those that are produced March to June survive.
Differences from Garden lobelia
Garden lobelia Lobelia erinusLobelia erinus
Lobelia erinus is a species of Lobelia native to southern Africa, from Malawi and Namibia south to South Africa.-Description:...
is similar, but is slender, trailing, an annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
, comes in different colours, the flower stalks are up to 2cm, and the lower 3 corrola lobes are more than 2mm wide.
Associated species
They are often found with Juncus articulatusJuncus articulatus
Juncus articulatus is a species of rush known by the common name Jointleaf Rush, and more ambiguously as "Jointed Rush" which can also refer to J. kraussii from Australia . It is native to Eurasia and much of Canada and the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in...
, Juncus conglomeratus
Juncus conglomeratus
Juncus conglomeratus, known commonly as Compact Rush, is a species of rush.In the England, Wales and Scotland it is one of six rush species which can dominate lowland damp grasslands....
, Lotus pedunculatus, Mentha aquatica (water mint), Molinia caerulea(Purple Moor Grass), Potentilla erecta, Pulicaria dysenterica
Pulicaria dysenterica
Pulicaria dysenterica is a species of Fleabane in the daisy family. It is native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats ranging from semi-arid Mediterranean woodlands to wetter situations. P. dysenterica is perennial and can form dense clusters of plants, spreading by...
, and Salix cinerea.
Places Found
- Andrews Wood, (near ModburyModburyModbury is a town and parish in the South Hams region of the English county of Devon. It is situated on the A379 road, which links it to Plymouth and Kingsbridge...
in DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
), a site managed by the Devon Wildlife TrustDevon Wildlife TrustThe Devon Wildlife Trust is a member of The Wildlife Trusts partnership covering the county of Devon, England. It is a registered charity, established in 1962 as the Devon Naturalists Trust, and its aim is to safeguard the future of the county's urban, rural and marine wildlife and its...
,, and a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific InterestA Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
- supports the largest colony of Heath Lobelia in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In 2009, 9828 plants were recorded.. Also found in Redlake Cottage MeadowsRedlake Cottage MeadowsRedlake Meadows & Hoggs Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest , noted for its biological interest, in Cornwall, England, UK. Within the SSSI is Redlake Cottage Meadows nature reserve owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.-Geography:...
in CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.