Appearance
"Lobelia dentata" grows as a slender, hairless plant, growing to 40 cm high. The flowers form on a raceme and appear from March to November. The dark blue or purple flowers are small, but create a spectacular sight with their abundance and beauty. The specific epithet "dentata" refers to the "toothed leaves". The leaves are 1 to 4 cm long, and 3 to 10 mm wide. The fruiting capsule is 4 to 7 mm long, and 4 mm in diameter.
Naming
The original specimen was collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander at Botany Bay in 1770, when part of the first voyage of Captain James Cook.This plant first appeared in scientific literature in 1800, in the "Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum", authored by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles.
Distribution
The species ranges along coastal districts of New South Wales from Murwillumbah to Batemans Bay. It also occurs in Victoria. The habitat is eucalypt forest.References:
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