{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox |image = Lobelia close-up (aka).jpg |image_caption = |genus = Lobelia |species = erinus |authority = L. |synonyms = {{collapsible list | {{plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | * ''Dortmannia debilis'' var. ''natalensis'' Kuntze * ''Dortmannia erinoides'' (L.) Kuntze * ''Dortmannia erinus'' (L.) Kuntze * ''Dortmannia flexuosa'' (C.Presl) Kuntze * ''Dortmannia lavandulacea'' (Klotzsch) Kuntze * ''Dortmannia senegalensis'' (A.DC.) Kuntze * ''Enchysia erinoides'' (L.) C.Presl * ''Grammatotheca erinoides'' (L.) Sond. * ''Laurentia erinoides'' (L.) G.Nicholson * ''Lobelia acutangula'' (C.Presl) A.DC. * ''Lobelia algoensis'' A.DC. * ''Lobelia altimontis'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia bellidifolia'' L.f. * ''Lobelia bellidifolia'' Thunb. * ''Lobelia benguellensis'' Hiern * ''Lobelia bicolor'' Sims * ''Lobelia bracteolata'' A.DC. * ''Lobelia candida'' Link nom. inval. * ''Lobelia chilawana'' Schinz * ''Lobelia dortmannii'' Dammann * ''Lobelia erinifolia'' Salisb. nom. illeg. * ''Lobelia erinoides'' L. * ''Lobelia erinoides'' Thunb. * ''Lobelia filiformis'' f. ''albiflora'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia filiformis'' var. ''filiformis'' * ''Lobelia filiformis'' f. ''multipilis'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia filiformis'' f. ''muzandazora'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia filiformis'' var. ''natalensis'' (A.DC.) E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia jugosa'' S.Moore * ''Lobelia keilhackii'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia kohautiana'' Vatke nom. illeg. * ''Lobelia lavendulacea'' Klotzsch * ''Lobelia lydenburgensis'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia melsetteria'' E.Wimm. nom. inval. * ''Lobelia montaguensis'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia natalensis'' A.DC. * ''Lobelia nuda'' Hemsl. * ''Lobelia nuzana'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia oranjensis'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia parvifolia'' Raf. nom. illeg. * ''Lobelia polyodon'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia procumbens'' J.Forbes * ''Lobelia pubescens'' var. ''simplex'' Kuntze * ''Lobelia raridentata'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia rosulata'' S.Moore * ''Lobelia schrankii'' Sweet * ''Lobelia senegalensis'' A.DC. * ''Lobelia transvaalensis'' Schltr. * ''Lobelia trierarchii'' R.D.Good * ''Lobelia turgida'' E.Wimm. * ''Lobelia wildii'' E.Wimm. * ''Monopsis conspicua'' Salisb. nom. illeg. * ''Monopsis debilis'' var. ''conspicua'' Sond. * ''Monopsis simplex'' var. ''conspicua'' (Sond.) E.Wimm. * ''Rapuntium acutangulum'' C.Presl * ''Rapuntium bellidifolium'' (L.f.) C.Presl * ''Rapuntium bicolor'' (Sims) C.Presl * ''Rapuntium erinoides'' (L.) Mill. * ''Rapuntium erinus'' (L.) Mill. * ''Rapuntium kohautianum'' C.Presl * ''Rapuntium krebsianum'' C.Presl * ''Rapuntium procumbens'' (J.Forbes) C.Presl }} }} |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-353498?ref=tpl1|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species|website=www.theplantlist.org}}</ref> }}
'''''Lobelia erinus''''' ('''edging lobelia''', '''garden lobelia''' or '''trailing lobelia''') is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae, native to southern Africa.<ref name=grin>{{GRIN | accessdate = 16 January 2018}}</ref>
==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, pink or red and the center is yellow or white. The five stamens are 3 to 7 millimeters long.<ref>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.</ref>
The fruit is a 5–8 mm capsule containing numerous small seeds.<ref name=rhs>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan {{ISBN|0-333-47494-5}}.</ref><ref name=pza>PlantZAfrica: [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantklm/lobelia.htm ''Lobelia'']</ref>
==Range== The distribution area lies in southern Africa and extends from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the south to Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho and the South African provinces. ''L. erinus'' also occurs as a weed where it has escaped from cultivation.
==Cultivation and uses== ''Lobelia erinus'' is a very popular edging plant in gardens, especially for hanging baskets and window boxes. In temperate zones it is grown as a half-hardy annual, i.e. sown under glass with some heat in spring, then planted out when all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively plants can be purchased from garden centres as young "plug" plants, to be transferred outside in May or June.<ref>{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}</ref>
===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',<ref>[http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week490.shtml Plant of the week: ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Crystal Palace']</ref> 'Sapphire', 'Rosamund' and 'Riviera Rose'.<ref name=rhs/>
In the United Kingdom the following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 61 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *'Cambridge Blue'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/106162/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Cambridge-Blue/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Cambridge Blue' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *Cascade Series<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/176789/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Cascade-Series/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' Cascade Series | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Colour Cascade'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/106163/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Colour-Cascade/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Colour Cascade' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Crystal Palace'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/106164/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Crystal-Palace/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Crystal Palace' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Mrs Clibran'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/106165/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Mrs-Clibran/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Mrs Clibran' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Purple Star'''}}=‘Westpurstar’<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/272147/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Purple-Star-FONT-Wespurstar-sup-(PBR)-sup/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Purple Star' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Regatta Midnight Blue'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137378/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Regatta-Midnight-Blue/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Regatta Midnight Blue' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Regatta Sky Blue'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137383/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Regatta-Sky-Blue/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Regatta Sky Blue' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Richardii' syn. ''Lobelia richardsonii''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/67924/i-Lobelia-richardsonii-i-hort/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia richardsonii'' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'Riviera Blue Eyes'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137379/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Riviera-Blue-Eyes/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'Riviera Blue Eyes | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *'String of Pearls'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137380/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-String-of-Pearls/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' 'String of Pearls' | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Techno Heat Trailing Light Blue Improved'''}}=‘Lobstrahob’<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/317711/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Techno-Heat-Trailing-Light-Blue-Improved-FONT-Lobstrahob-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Techno-Heat-Series)/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Lobelia erinus'' Techno Heat Trailing Light Blue Improved = 'Lobstrahob' (PBR) (Techno Heat Series) | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Waterfall Blue'''}}=‘Balobwablu’ (Waterfall Series)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/310834/i-Lobelia-erinus-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Waterfall-Blue-FONT-Balobwablu-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Waterfall-Series)/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Lobelia erinus Waterfall Blue = 'Balobwablu' (PBR) (Waterfall Series) | website = www.rhs.org | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}</ref> {{div col end}}
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Lobelia erinus 0.02.jpg|{{center|'Cambridge Blue'}} File:Curtis's botanical magazine (No. 514) (8413247595).jpg|{{center|Illustration}} File: Lobelia erinus1.jpg|{{center|'Riviera Rose'}} File:Lobelia 026.jpg|{{center|'Sapphire'}} </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Commons-inline}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q158858}}
erinus Category:Flora of Malawi Category:Flora of Namibia Category:Flora of South Africa Category:Annual plants Category:Garden plants of Southern Africa Category:Medicinal plants of Africa Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus