WATER LOBELIA

Lobelia dortmanna

Bellflower [Campanulaceae]

26th July 2007, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

Photo: © Phil And Ann Farrer

Always grows in shallow water in tarns and lakes in acid areas of Northern and Western hills and fells. Avoids the Pennines and anywhere south of Bristol.

26th July 2007, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

Photo: © Phil And Ann Farrer

Stems are up to 70cm and leafless. All leaves are submerged and in a basal rosette and linear.

26th July 2007, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

Photo: © Phil And Ann Farrer

The flowering stems often twist about. Flowering stalks usually emerge singly at decreasing intervals up the stem, most being near the top. Short leaf-like green bracts are also on the stem.

26th July 2007, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

An un-usual specimen with a single pair of flowers on short stalks grow atop the stem, totally bereft of any leaves. Sepal teeth short and rounded. Flower tube long before splaying out into two lips. The flower has two deeply cleft lips, an upper curled-up lip with the deepest cut and a lower much wider lip with less deep incisions giving the impression of 5 petals. Flower colour is white to a very pale lilac. All petal tips pointed.

Not to be confused with : Water Violet (Hottonia palustris) nor with Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) [plants with similar names which look vaguely similar and which grow in similar shallow freshwater, and moreover which are not in the same family]

Some similarities to : Heath Lobelia (Lobelia urens) but that grows on heaths in the far south of England, not further than about 20 miles from the sea.

No relation to : Water Soldier, Water Horsetail, Water Figwort, Water Purslane, Water Mint, Water Pepper, Water Avens, Water Dock, Water Forgetmenot, Water Speedwell, Water Germander nor to dozens more [plants with similar names].

The stems, when broken, seep a milky latex.

Grows in the shallow parts of mountain tarns and lakes on acid soils in the North and West of the UK but avoiding the Pennines. Thus mainly southern parts of Snowdonia, Mid Wales and the Lake District, plus most of Scotland avoiding the East and many parts of west in Ireland.

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Distribution
family8Bellflower family8Campanulaceae

BSBI maps

Lobelia
(Lobelias)