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Campanulaceae FAMILY

Lobelia leschenaultiana

Lobelia leschenaultiana

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Many, if not all, species in the genus Lobelia contain a range of piperidine alkaloids, particularly lobeline and lobelanine. If ingested, these can cause a range of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, salivation, exhaustion and weakness, dilation of pupils, convulsions, and coma. Generally, the degree of toxicity is only moderate and plants are only harmful in larger quantities - indeed several species have medicinal uses and a few are even eaten as wild foods[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]

Botanical Description

Lobelia leschenaultiana is an erect, biennial to perennial plant with stems that can become woody and persist; it can grow up to 400cm tall[ 2054 Title The Genus Lobelia L. (Lobeliaceae) in India Publication Indian Journal of Forestry, Vol. 33 (4); 625-634, 2010 Author Singh R.Kr. & Diwakar P.G. Publisher Year 2010 ISBN Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a pesticide and nicotine substitute.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeE. Asia - southwest India, Sri Lanka
HabitatOpen hilly slopes, forest edges, roadsides and forest clearings; at elevations from 800 - 2,500 metres[ 2054 Title The Genus Lobelia L. (Lobeliaceae) in India Publication Indian Journal of Forestry, Vol. 33 (4); 625-634, 2010 Author Singh R.Kr. & Diwakar P.G. Publisher Year 2010 ISBN Description ].