Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Lobelia urens

Other names

Acrid Lobelia

Family

Campanulaceae

Flowering season

August to September

English distribution

It is found in southern counties and restricted to 6 

main localities.

See the BSBI distribution map for Heath Lobelia

Habitat

It grows in rough grassland, grassy heaths and

on acidic soils subject to seasonal waterlogging.

Seed germination is helped by disturbance such

as grazing and trampling in the winter months.

Description

Heath Lobelia is a rare, native, perennial,

rhizomatous herb growing up to 80cm.

The flowers are in one-sided spikes (racemes).

Individual flowers are blue to purple with spreading

petal lobes and up to 15mm.

The 5 petals are fused to form a basal tube and 2

unequal lips. The upper lip has 2 thinner lobes and

the lower lip, 3 wider lobes.

The 5 stamens are fused round the style, hiding it.

The anthers are white.

The stigma is purple, capitate and 2-lobed.

The sepals are toothed and the same length as

the corolla tube.

Bracts are thinner and smaller than the leaves

and are scattered up the stem

The leaves are lanceolate to oval, irregularly

toothed and up to 7cm.

Stems are slender and angular and contain an

acrid juice.