Family: Campanulaceae
pale-spike lobelia, spiked lobelia
Christopher Noll
Etymology: Lobelia: after Matthias de l'Obel (1538-1616), a Flemish botanist; also written as Matthias von Lobel
Plants: erect, perennial, 8"-40" tall forb, unbranched, delicate, often hairy especially toward the bottom
Leaves: hairy, broadly-oblong to lance-like getting smaller toward the top
Flowers: pale blue to white, 5-parted, 1/4"-3/8" long, irregularly shaped, top lip 2-parted, lower lip 3-parted; inflorescence a crowded, long, slender, spike-like cluster (raceme) of stalked flowers; blooms June-July
Fruits: not inflated
Habitat: dry; prairies, woods, meadows
Hazardous: Careful, this plant is hazardous!
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: erect, perennial, 8"-40" tall forb, unbranched, delicate, often hairy especially toward the bottom
Leaves: hairy, broadly-oblong to lance-like getting smaller toward the top
Flowers: pale blue to white, 5-parted, 1/4"-3/8" long, irregularly shaped, top lip 2-parted, lower lip 3-parted; inflorescence a crowded, long, slender, spike-like cluster (raceme) of stalked flowers; blooms June-July
Fruits: not inflated
Habitat: dry; prairies, woods, meadows
Hazardous: Careful, this plant is hazardous!
Conservation Status: Native
Pale-spiked lobelia. Dry to wet prairies, savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, ridges, and hillsides, and clearings in woods (pine, oak, aspen), somewhat weedy and spreading onto grassy or wooded embankments, edges of marshes, pastures, and old fields; sandy, loamy, or mucky soils.
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 6, Wetland Indicator = FAC Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. Illinois Wildflowers: Wonderful photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leaf arrangement key Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada"
