Common Name:

General Information

Lobelia kalmii is an erect, herbaceous plant, perennating by means of short offsets; it grows around 10 - 50cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
Lobelia kalmii is widespread and while it is possibly declining in parts of its range, it is not thought that any global population decline is likely to meet (or be close to meeting) the threshold for Vulnerable. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2016)[].

Known Hazards

Many, if not all, species in the genus Lobelia contain a range of piperidine alkaloids, particularly lobeline and lobelanine. If ingested, these can cause a range of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, salivation, exhaustion and weakness, dilation of pupils, convulsions, and coma. Generally, the degree of toxicity is only moderate and plants are only harmful in larger quantities - indeed several species have medicinal uses and a few are even eaten as wild foods[]

Botanical References

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Range

Central and northern N. America - Northwest Territory to Nunavut, south to Washington, South Dakota, Illinois and Pennsylvania

Habitat

Wet limestone shores and bogs[]. Fens (calcium-rich wetlands), wet meadows, ridges or ledges, shores of rivers or lakes[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has been used internally as an emetic, or topically to treat abscesses and earache[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -