Giant lobelia explained

Giant lobelia is a common name for several plants in the genus Lobelia; many of these species are restricted to high altitude, alpine ecosystems. In East African highlands as many as 20 species were listed in 1934 (Bruce). A selection of species names is below.

• Lobelia aberdarica
• Lobelia bambuseti
• Lobelia bequaertii (Rwenzori Mountains, East Africa)
• Lobelia deckenii
• Lobelia fenniae East Africa
• Lobelia giberroa^[1]
• Lobelia gregoriana (syn. L. deckenii subsp. keniensis, L. keniensis)
• Lobelia lanuriensis East Africa
• Lobelia morogoroensis^[2]
• Lobelia rhynchopetalum
• Lobelia stuhlmannii
• Lobelia telekii
• Lobelia wollastonii

The giant lobelia span Africa, Hawaii, South America, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia. Phylogenetic analysis strongly supports that this is a monophyletic group.^[3], ^[4]

References

E. A. Bruce. “The Giant Lobelias of East Africa.” Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), vol. 1934, no. 2, 1934, pp. 61–88. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4118226. Accessed 14 June 2024.

Notes and References

1. [Louis Leakey|Leakey, L. S. B.]
2. Book: Knox, Eric Boyd. Eric B. Knox

   . Eric B. Knox. 1993. [{{Google books|FmQeAQAAMAAJ|page=42|keywords=morogoroensis+Abstract+Knox+Pocs|plainurl=yes}} Evolution of the Giant Senecios and Giant Lobelias in Eastern Africa]. University of Michigan. 42. (http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/103434)

3. Antonelli. Alexandre. Higher level phylogeny and evolutionary trends in Campanulaceae subfam. Lobelioideae: Molecular signal overshadows morphology. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 46. 1–18. 2007. 1. 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.06.015. 18042405.
4. Antonelli, A. Have giant lobelias evolved several times independently? Life form shifts and historical biogeography of the cosmopolitan and highly diverse subfamily Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae) . BMC Biol 7, 82 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-7-82.