Lobeliaceae

Lobeliaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asterales. It comprises roughly 75 genera and about 2,000 species, though numbers vary with taxonomic treatment. Members are predominantly herbaceous perennials and shrubs, with a cosmopolitan distribution that is greatest in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, and numerous species in the Americas.

Common features include alternate leaves and flowers that are often zygomorphic with a tubular, bilabiate corolla. The calyx typically has five lobes, and the fruit is a capsule containing numerous tiny seeds. Flowers are frequently showy and adapted to insect pollination, though some tropical species are pollinated by birds such as hummingbirds.

Taxonomically, Lobeliaceae is recognized as a separate family in modern classifications, such as the APG system, and is considered closely related to Campanulaceae within the same order. In earlier systems, Lobeliaceae was treated as a subfamily (Lobelioideae) within Campanulaceae.

Ecology and use: Lobelia species are widely cultivated as ornamentals; Lobelia erinus (edging lobelia) and Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) are among the best known garden varieties. Some species have historical medicinal uses; for example, Lobelia inflata contains alkaloids and has been used in traditional remedies, though its use today is restricted due to toxicity.

Conservation and notes: A number of Lobeliaceae species are threatened by habitat loss, overcollection, or environmental changes in their native ranges.

Etymology: The name Lobeliaceae honors Matthias de Lobel, a 16th-century Flemish botanist.