Minnesota Seasons - pale-spiked lobelia

Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy

Overview

Pale-spiked lobelia is a common, native, small-flowerd plant. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Great Plains.

There is disagreement as to whether there are any varieties of Lobelia spicata. Some taxonomists recognize five varieties. However, the characters separating them are minor, and some taxonomists contend that they do not warrant recognition as varieties.

Pale-spiked lobelia is found in prairies, forest openings, savannas, streambanks, meadows, and pastures. It grows under full or partial sun, in rich, loamy, moist to slightly dry soil, and also in somewhat rocky soil.

Description

Pale-spiked lobelia is short lived, weak-stemmed, relatively short, and unassuming. It remains erect only when supported by adjacent vegetation. The long inflorescence often does not rise above nearby grasses and forbs.

The stems are up to 32″ (82 cm) in height and are usually unbranched.

The leaves are alternate, unstalked, and mostly restricted to the lower half of the stem. They are narrowly egg shaped to lance shaped, ⅜″ to 2¾″ (10 to 70 mm) long, and ⅜″ to 1″ (10 to 25 mm) wide. Ther margins are usually toothed, sometimes smooth.

The inflorescence is a 4″ to 12″ (10 to 31 cm) long, unbranched, spike-like, densely flowered raceme.

The flowers are pale blue or white and ¼″ to ⅜″ (6 to 10 mm) long. The corolla is shaped like a typical lobelia flower, with a two-lobed upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip.


Distribution
		Sources 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.
7/8/2024


Taxonomy
Kingdom	Plantae (green algae and land plants)
Subkingdom	Viridiplantae (green plants)
Infrakingdom	Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)
Superdivision	Embryophyta (land plants)
Division	Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
Subdivision	Spermatophytina (seed plants)
Class	Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)
Superorder	Asteranae
Order	Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)
Family	Campanulaceae (bellflower)
Subfamily	Lobelioideae (lobelia)
Genus	Lobelia (lobelias)
Section	Lobelia (typical lobelias)

Many North American sources, including USDA PLANTS and NatureServe, recognize four or five varieties of Lobelia spicata. The characters separating them are minor, and there is disagreement as to whether they warrant recognition as varieties. ITIS, GRIN, GBIF, Plants of the World Online, and World Flora Online recognize no varieties.

Subordinate Taxa
ear-spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata var. leptostachys) pale-spike lobelia (Lobelia spicata var. campanulata) (?) pale-spike lobelia (Lobelia spicata var. spicata) spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata var. hirtella) spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata var. scaposa)

Synonyms


Common Names
pale-spike lobelia pale-spiked lobelia pale-spiked lobelia

Glossary

Raceme

An unbranched, elongated inflorescence with stalked flowers. The flowers mature from the bottom up.


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Lobelia spicata (Pale Spiked Lobelia)
Allen Chartier

Lobelia spicata PALE SPIKED LOBELIA
Frank Mayfield

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Cat Adkins
7/7/2024

Location: Pankratz Memorial Prairie, South Unit

Hello, I am Cat Adkins, and I am the Ecological Research Ast Intern this summer at Pankratz Memorial Prairie. I just wanted to report the sighting of a few plants of the Lobelia spicata in the Southern Pankrats section. (To the north of the Southern section). Thank you!