It is a perennialherbaceous plant that grows up to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and is found in wet places, streambanks, and swamps. The leaves are up to 20 cm (8 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) broad, lanceolate to oval, with a toothed margin. The flowers are usually vibrant red, deeply five-lobed, up to 4 cm across; they are produced in an erect raceme up to 70 cm (28 in) tall during the summer to fall. Forms with white (f. alba) and pink (f. rosea) flowers are also known.[3] It grows along streams, springs, swamps, and in low wooded areas.[4]
Lobelia cardinalis is related to two other Lobelia species in to the Eastern United States, Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco) and Lobelia siphilitica (great lobelia); all display the characteristic "lip" petal near the opening of the flower and the "milky" liquid the plant excretes. L. siphilitica has blue flowers and is primarily pollinated by bees, whereas L. cardinalis is red and is primarily pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).[5]
Lobelia cardinalis on the bank of Ichetucknee River, Columbia Co., Florida.
Etymology
It was introduced to Europe in the mid-1620s, where the name cardinal flower was in use by 1629, likely due to the similarity of the flower's color to the vesture of Roman Catholic Cardinals.[6]
This plant is easily propagated by seed and dividing out the young plants which form around the older mature plants each year. Although the plant is generally considered a perennial, they may be short lived. They prefer moist soils in part shade.[9]
Medicinal and other uses
The Zuni people use this plant as an ingredient of "schumaakwe cakes" and used it externally for rheumatism and swelling.[10] The Penobscot people smoked the dried leaves as a substitute for tobacco. It may also have been chewed.[11]
Toxicity
As a member of the genusLobelia, it is considered to be potentially toxic.[12] Symptoms of ingestion of large quantities include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, exhaustion and weakness, dilation of pupils, convulsions, and coma.[13] The plant contains a number of toxic alkaloids including lobelamine and lobeline.[13]
References
^"Lobelia cardinalis L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
^"Lobelia cardinalis - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
^Caruso, C. M.; Peterson, S. B.; Ridley, C. E. (2003), "Natural selection on floral traits of Lobelia (Lobeliaceae): spatial and temporal variation", American Journal of Botany, 90 (9): 1333–40, doi:10.3732/ajb.90.9.1333, PMID 21659233
^Donaldson, C. (1999). Cardinal Flower – Spectacular Scarlet Blossoms That Hummingbirds Adore. Plants & Gardens News 14 (3). online at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Accessed 23 May 2006.
^"RHS Plant Selector - Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria'". Retrieved 2 October 2020.
^"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 61. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
^Frances Tenenbaum (2003). Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 244–. ISBN0-618-22644-3.
^Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p. 56)
^Guédon, Marie-Françoise. Sacred Smudging in North America, Walkabout Press 2000
^Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Peterson Field Guides, Houghton, Mifflin 1990 edn. ISBN0-395-92066-3
^ ab"Lobelia cardinalis". North Carolina State University Extension.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lobelia cardinalis.
March 10, 2023
lobelia, cardinalis, cardinal, flower, fulgens, species, flowering, plant, bellflower, family, campanulaceae, native, americas, from, southeastern, canada, south, through, eastern, southwestern, united, states, mexico, central, america, northern, colombia, con. Lobelia cardinalis the cardinal flower syn L fulgens is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae native to the Americas from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia 2 Lobelia cardinalisConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder AsteralesFamily CampanulaceaeGenus LobeliaSpecies L cardinalisBinomial nameLobelia cardinalisL Synonyms 1 List Dortmanna cardinalis L Kuntze Dortmanna cordigera Cav Kuntze Dortmanna engelmanniana Kuntze Dortmanna fulgens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd Kuntze Dortmanna graminea Lam Kuntze Dortmanna longifolia C Presl Kuntze Dortmanna phyllostachya Engelm Kuntze Dortmanna splendens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd Kuntze Lobelia cardinalis f alba J McNab H St John Lobelia cardinalis var alba J McNab Lobelia cardinalis var angustifolia Vatke Lobelia cardinalis var candida Alph Wood Lobelia cardinalis f cordigera Cav Bowden Lobelia cardinalis var glandulosa N Coleman Lobelia cardinalis var graminea Lam McVaugh Lobelia cardinalis subsp graminea Lam McVaugh Lobelia cardinalis var hispidula E Wimm Lobelia cardinalis f hispidula E Wimm Bowden Lobelia cardinalis var integerrima Alph Wood Lobelia cardinalis var meridionalis Bowden Lobelia cardinalis var multiflora Paxton McVaugh Lobelia cardinalis var phyllostachya Engelm McVaugh Lobelia cardinalis var propinqua Paxton Bowden Lobelia cardinalis var pseudosplendens McVaugh Lobelia cardinalis f rosea H St John Lobelia cardinalis var texensis Raf Rothr Lobelia coccinea Moench Stokes Lobelia cordigera Cav Lobelia cordigera var fatalis E Wimm Lobelia cordigera var marryattiae Paxton E Wimm Lobelia cordigera var multiflora Paxton E Wimm Lobelia fulgens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd Lobelia fulgens f atrosanguinea Hook Voss Lobelia fulgens var multiflora Paxton Lobelia fulgens var propinqua Paxton Lobelia fulgens var pyramidalis Paxton Lobelia graminea Lam Lobelia graminea var intermedia E Wimm Lobelia graminea f kerneri L Nagy E Wimm Lobelia graminea var phyllostachya Engelm E Wimm Lobelia ignea Paxton Lobelia kerneri L Nagy Lobelia longifolia C Presl A DC Lobelia marryattiae Paxton Lobelia mucronata Engelm Lobelia phyllostachya Engelm Lobelia porphyrantha Decne ex Groenland Lobelia princeps Otto amp A Dietr Lobelia propinqua J W Loudon Lobelia punicea Otto amp A Dietr Lobelia punicea var kerneri L Nagy E Wimm Lobelia ramosa Burb Lobelia schiedeana Heynh Lobelia splendens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd Lobelia splendens var atrosanguinea Hook Lobelia splendens var fulgens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd S Watson Lobelia splendens var ignea Hook Lobelia texensis Raf Rapuntium cardinale L Mill Rapuntium coccineum Moench Rapuntium cordigerum Cav C Presl Rapuntium fulgens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd C Presl Rapuntium gramineum Lam C Presl Rapuntium longifolium C Presl Rapuntium splendens Humb amp Bonpl ex Willd C Presl Tupa ignescens Payer Contents 1 Description 2 Etymology 3 Cultivation 4 Medicinal and other uses 5 Toxicity 6 ReferencesDescription EditIt is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 1 2 m 4 ft tall and is found in wet places streambanks and swamps The leaves are up to 20 cm 8 in long and 5 cm 2 in broad lanceolate to oval with a toothed margin The flowers are usually vibrant red deeply five lobed up to 4 cm across they are produced in an erect raceme up to 70 cm 28 in tall during the summer to fall Forms with white f alba and pink f rosea flowers are also known 3 It grows along streams springs swamps and in low wooded areas 4 Lobelia cardinalis is related to two other Lobelia species in to the Eastern United States Lobelia inflata Indian tobacco and Lobelia siphilitica great lobelia all display the characteristic lip petal near the opening of the flower and the milky liquid the plant excretes L siphilitica has blue flowers and is primarily pollinated by bees whereas L cardinalis is red and is primarily pollinated by the ruby throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris 5 Lobelia cardinalis on the bank of Ichetucknee River Columbia Co Florida Etymology EditIt was introduced to Europe in the mid 1620s where the name cardinal flower was in use by 1629 likely due to the similarity of the flower s color to the vesture of Roman Catholic Cardinals 6 Cultivation EditIn cultivation L cardinalis requires rich deep soil which remains reliably moist year round The cultivar Queen Victoria has gained the Royal Horticultural Society s Award of Garden Merit 7 8 This plant is easily propagated by seed and dividing out the young plants which form around the older mature plants each year Although the plant is generally considered a perennial they may be short lived They prefer moist soils in part shade 9 Medicinal and other uses EditThe Zuni people use this plant as an ingredient of schumaakwe cakes and used it externally for rheumatism and swelling 10 The Penobscot people smoked the dried leaves as a substitute for tobacco It may also have been chewed 11 Toxicity EditAs a member of the genus Lobelia it is considered to be potentially toxic 12 Symptoms of ingestion of large quantities include nausea vomiting diarrhea salivation exhaustion and weakness dilation of pupils convulsions and coma 13 The plant contains a number of toxic alkaloids including lobelamine and lobeline 13 References Edit Lobelia cardinalis L Plants of the World Online Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 2017 Retrieved 2 December 2020 Lobelia cardinalis Germplasm Resources Information Network GRIN Agricultural Research Service ARS United States Department of Agriculture USDA Retrieved 21 December 2017 Missouriplants Lobelia cardinalis Lobelia cardinalis Plant Finder www missouribotanicalgarden org Retrieved 2022 01 18 Caruso C M Peterson S B Ridley C E 2003 Natural selection on floral traits of Lobelia Lobeliaceae spatial and temporal variation American Journal of Botany 90 9 1333 40 doi 10 3732 ajb 90 9 1333 PMID 21659233 Donaldson C 1999 Cardinal Flower Spectacular Scarlet Blossoms That Hummingbirds Adore Plants amp Gardens News 14 3 online at Brooklyn Botanic Garden Accessed 23 May 2006 RHS Plant Selector Lobelia cardinalis Queen Victoria Retrieved 2 October 2020 AGM Plants Ornamental PDF Royal Horticultural Society July 2017 p 61 Retrieved 25 March 2018 Frances Tenenbaum 2003 Taylor s Encyclopedia of Garden Plants Houghton Mifflin Harcourt pp 244 ISBN 0 618 22644 3 Stevenson Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians SI BAE Annual Report 30 p 56 Guedon Marie Francoise Sacred Smudging in North America Walkabout Press 2000 Foster Steven and James A Duke Eastern Central Medicinal Plants Peterson Field Guides Houghton Mifflin 1990 edn ISBN 0 395 92066 3 a b Lobelia cardinalis North Carolina State University Extension Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lobelia cardinalis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lobelia cardinalis amp oldid 1109399312, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
