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Common Name: Devil's Tobacco

General Information

Lobelia tupa is a perennial plant that can grow up to 2.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

The whole plant is poisonous[]. It contains the alkaloid lobeline which has a similar effect upon the nervous system as nicotine[]. Even smelling this plant has been known to cause sickness[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Chile.

Habitat

Wooded slopes, in the open and amongst shrubs[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Best grown in full sun or in an open position in light shade with some shelter from the wind[]. Requires a permanently moist fertile loamy soil[].
This species is hardy to about -10°c, but in areas with mild maritime winters plants can be induced into early growth and this growth is more susceptible to frost damage[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A juice pressed from the leaves is used in the treatment of toothache[, ].
The plant is smoked as an intoxicant[, , ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in the spring[]. Plants can also be divided and potted up in the autumn and kept in a cold frame over the winter to protect against losses in severe winters[].