Lobelia sessilifolia
a perennial member of the Lobelia genus in the family Campanulaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Campanulaceae
- Genus
- Lobelia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 0.7 m
- Spread
- 0.3 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant contains a toxic alkaloid[3]. It contains the alkaloid lobeline which has a similar effect upon the nervous system as nicotine[5].
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The buds and young plants are cooked and used as a famine food[2][3]. Caution is advised because they contain a toxic alkaloid[3].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - Japan.
- Habitat
- Wet places in lowland and mountains all over Japan[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[4]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring[4]. Basal cuttings in spring[1]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. Layering in moist sand, it forms roots at the nodes[4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a wet soil[1].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00