Lobelia roughii
Common name
scree lobelia, Rough’s Lobelia
Synonyms
None (described in 1864)
Family
Campanulaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
LOBROU
Chromosome number
2n = 14
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago)
Habitat
Higher montane to subalpine. In rock-debris and stable and mobile screes
Features
Glabrous herb. Stems and leaves when bruised or broken exuding pale yellow acrid sap. Roots numerous, rather stout, far-spreading; stems and branches tough, ascending through rock-debris; branchlets appearing above surface, up to 100 mm long. Leaves thick, coriaceous, on broad flat petioles circa 5 mm. long. Lamina circa 10-25 x 10-20 mm; obovate to broad-oblong to elliptic in outline, cuneately narrowed to base; coarsely, deeply dentate; teeth very narrow-triangular, blunt, elongating to circa 6 mm. Flowers circa 10 mm long, on stout peduncles up to 50 mm long. Calyx 5-7 mm long, persistent; lobes linear, thick, obtuse, elongating to c. 8 mm in fruit. Corolla white, hardly > calyx, split to near base into 2 lips; upper lip with 2 narrow segments, lower 3-lobed to c. 1/2 way; anthers not awned. Capsule coriaceous, 10-12 mm. long, broad-obovoid to suborbicular
Similar taxa
Recognised by the restriction to rock-debris and scree habitats; much-branched stems; by the elliptic to oblong or obovate deeply incised leaves which are mostly 12 mm long; by the stout peduncles which are up to 50 mm long; and white flowers
Flowering
December - April
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
October - February
Propagation technique
Difficult. Can be grown in a pot or a rock garden. Slow to establish and hard to maintain.
Etymology
lobelia: Named after Lobel, pioneer botanist
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available.
Attribution
Description modified from Webb et al. (1988).
References and further reading
Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. DSIR Botany Division, Christchurch.