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Taxa
Lobelia
EOL Text
Foodplant / pathogen
Arabis Mosaic virus infects and damages slightly mottled or distorted leaf of Lobelia
Foodplant / pathogen
Cucumber Mosaic virus infects and damages slightly mottled or distorted leaf of Lobelia
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Lobelia.htm |
erinus: ancient name of a plant with this habit.
Lobelia (Potamogeton, Lobelia, Isoetes, Sparganium) is prey of:
Rutilus rutilus
Based on studies in:
Finland (Lake or pond, Littoral)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- J. Sarvala, Paarjarven energiatalous, Luonnon Tutkija 78:181-190, from p. 185.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Widespread in tropical and South Africa.
Furry bracts serve as insulation: lobelia
The bracts of Lobelia telekii protect its flowers from wind and cold via long, hair-like shape.
"The lobelias carry their flowers densely packed around a thick stem that rises from the centre of the rosette. The action of one species in folding its leaves over the bud at night also provides considerable protection for the flowers. But the lobelia species that remains open must have some additional device. In any case, its flowers would be far beyond the reach of its leaves for they are produced around a column that rises several feet high. It protects them in the same way as the tree-groundsel protects the sap in its trunk -- with lagging, and it uses not dead leaves but exceptionally long hair-like bracts which grow around each flower and together forms a thick fur around the pillar. The flowers themselves are much shorter than the bracts and are almost hidden by them so that the sunbirds, which pollinate the flowers, have to thrust their heads deeply into the fur to find nectar." (Attenborough 1995:263)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/dcd03ec5a085490811af79a1c5ab9192 |
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Lobelia+erinus |
Slime inhibits evaporation: lobelia
The fluid secreted and held in the rosette of one lobelia plant avoids water loss via an evaporation-inhibiting slime component.
In one species of lobelia that grows on the upper slopes of Mount Kenya, "Its rosette forms a deep watertight cup that contains up to three quarters of a gallon of liquid. Each night, a plate of ice forms across the surface. This acts as a shield, preventing the frost from penetrating more deeply into the pond. The water beneath remains liquid and therefore above freezing point and the submerged bud survives undamaged. It is a minimal defence. Were the nights to last a few hours longer or the temperature to stay below zero during the day, then the contents of the ponds might freeze solid right to the bottom and the bud would be killed. As it is, however, the sun returns after a few hours and all is well…But now the lobelia faces a different hazard. If the sun shines so hotly during the day that the water in the pond evaporates, then the lobelia would be defenceless when night fell. However, this does not happen. The fluid in the pond is not rain water. Indeed it cannot be for very little rain falls on these slopes. The plant has secreted it from special glands and it contains a slime that inhibits evaporation. So even during the hottest afternoons, its defence does not vanish." (Attenborough 1995:263)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/af695b4ab6f3f7ff15ffa23b9d75e007 |
Chile Central
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
Source | No source database. |
Ice in rosette protects bud from frost: lobelia
A liquid held in the rosette of a lobelia protects the plant's terminal bud from frost by forming a shield of ice over the submerged bud on cold nights.
"There are also two species of lobelia on the upper slopes of the mountain [Mount Kenya]. Both form giant rosettes of leaves on the ground. They are in just as much danger of having their terminal buds frost-bitten as the cabbage groundsel and one of them takes the same preventative measures, folding its leaves over the terminal buds each night. The other surprisingly does not do this. Instead it remains widespread throughout the night. But it has a most ingenious defence…Its rosette forms a deep watertight cup that contains up to three quarters of a gallon of liquid. Each night, a plate of ice forms across the surface. This acts as a shield, preventing the frost from penetrating more deeply into the pond. The water beneath remains liquid and therefore above freezing point and the submerged bud survives undamaged. It is a minimal defence. Were the nights to last a few hours longer or the temperature to stay below zero during the day, then the contents of the ponds might freeze solid right to the bottom and the bud would be killed. As it is, however, the sun returns after a few hours and all is well." (Attenborough 1995:261-263)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/81cc9d50c61e6eef32757443bf6b9e8a |
Common