Lobelia purpurascens

Last updated

White root
Pratia purpurascens cropped.jpg
Cultivated specimen of Lobelia purpurascens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Lobelia
Species:
L. purpurascens
Binomial name
Lobelia purpurascens
Synonyms [1]
  • Lobelia ilicifolia Sims
  • Pratia puberula f. arguta E.Wimm.
  • Pratia purpurascens(R.Br.) E.Wimm.
  • Rapuntium purpurascens(R.Br.) C.Presl

Lobelia purpurascens, commonly known as white root [2] or purplish pratia, [3] is a flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae of eastern Australia. It is a small herbaceous, scrambling plant with white to pale pink flowers.

Contents

Description

Lobelia purpurascens is a small, smooth herb usually less than 12 cm (4.7 in) high with ascending or more or less prostrate stems, usually 30 cm (12 in) long with white rhizomes. The leaves are arranged alternately, more or less sessile, elliptic to oval shaped, 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) wide, margins toothed and the undersurface usually purplish coloured on a petiole up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The single flowers are borne in leaf axils on a pedicel 1–7 cm (0.39–2.76 in) long, corolla pale mauve-pink, bluish or white, 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long, lower petals oblong-rounded, upper petals upright, tapering to a point, curved inward and smaller than upper petals. Flowering occurs from November to May and the fruit 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide and smooth. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Lobelia purpurascens was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. [5] [6] The specific epithet (purpurascens) means "purplish". [7]

Distribution and habitat

White root grows mostly in shady, moist situations in woodland and grasslands in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hemiandra</i> Genus of flowering plants

Hemiandra is a genus of nine species of flowering plants of the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. Plants in the genus Hemiandra are shrubs with sessile leaves arranged in opposite pairs, petals with five lobes arranged in two "lips" and the fruit a capsule usually containing four nuts.

<i>Isotoma</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Isotoma is a genus of annual and perennial herbs in the family Campanulaceae and are native to Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Pimelea spicata</i> Species of flowering plant

Pimelea spicata, commonly known as the spiked rice flower, is a flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a slender plant with white flowers and elliptic leaves.

<i>Cyrtostylis reniformis</i> Species of orchid

Cyrtostylis reniformis, commonly known as common gnat-orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has a single kidney-shaped leaf and a flowering spike with up to eight reddish flowers with a shelf-like labellum.

<i>Prasophyllum striatum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum striatum, commonly known as the streaked leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single thin, tube-shaped leaf and up to ten greenish and whitish flowers with reddish or purplish stripes. It differs from other leek orchids in having a very thin leaf and prominently streaked flowers.

<i>Epacris sparsa</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris sparsa, is a small upright shrub with creamy-white flowers, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and reddish new growth. It is endemic to New South Wales with a restricted distribution.

<i>Stenanthera pinifolia</i> Species of shrub

Stenanthera pinifolia, commonly known as pine heath, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has narrow, linear leaves, yellow or red tubular flowers and a small edible berry.

<i>Leucopogon pendulus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon pendulus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, straggling shrub with oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.

<i>Leucopogon gracilis</i> Species of shrub

Leucopogon gracilis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a spindly shrub with wiry branchlets, linear to lance-shaped leaves, and dense spikes of white or pinkish flowers.

<i>Chloanthes stoechadis</i> Species of flowering plant

Chloanthes stoechadis is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is a small under shrub with wrinkled leaves and yellowish green flowers.

<i>Samolus junceus</i> Species of flowering plant

Samolus junceus in the family Primulaceae is a species of water pimpernel native to Western Australia.

<i>Scaevola striata</i> Species of plant

Scaevola striata, commonly known as royal robe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has blue fan-shaped flowers, and is endemic to Western Australia.


Chloanthes glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is a small shrub with wrinkled leaves and greenish-yellow tubular flowers. It is endemic to New South Wales.

<i>Dampiera incana</i> Species of plant

Dampiera incana, commonly known as the hoary dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a perennial herb with grey foliage and blue-purple flowers.

<i>Westringia angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Westringia angustifolia, commonly known as scabrous westringia, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a small, upright shrub with mauve or white flowers.

<i>Conostylis serrulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Conostylis serrulata, is a flowering plant in the family Haemodoraceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small perennial with yellow cream flowers and flat, green leaves.

<i>Lechenaultia tubiflora</i> Species of plant

Lechenaultia tubiflora, commonly known as heath leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a hemispherical subshrub or more or less erect perennial with crowded, narrow, rigid leaves and variably-coloured, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Lobelia browniana</i> Species of flowering plant

Lobelia browniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, glabrous, annual plant with narrow leaves and one-sided racemes of blue flowers with long, soft hairs in the centre.

<i>Leucopogon collinus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon collinus, commonly known as fringed beard-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender, erect or spreading shrub with narrowly lance-shaped leaves, and white, tube-shaped, bearded flowers.

<i>Leucopogon deformis</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon deformis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern coastal Australia. It is a bushy shrub with narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lobelia purpurascens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Wiecek, Barbara. "Lobelia purpurascens". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 Stajsic, Val. "Lobelia purpurascens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  4. ↑ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region (3 ed.). Crows Nest: Jacana Books. p. 431. ISBN   9781741755718.
  5. ↑ "Lobelia purpurascens". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. London. p. 563.
  7. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 287. ISBN   9780958034180.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.