Lobelia anceps L.f.
Herb to c. 40 cm long, usually much less, with vegetative parts glabrous; sap clear. Stems erect to widespreading or prostrate, not usually rooting at nodes; branchlets narrowly winged, grooved. Lvs very variable; petioles flat, to c. 10 mm long. Lamina submembranous to ± succulent, entire or variously toothed; lamina of lower lvs (10)-15-40-(50) × (5)-8-20 mm, broad-ovate to oblong-ovate, sometimes purplish, decurrent at base. Lvs becoming narrower and petioles shorter above; uppermost lvs sessile, narrow, linear to lanceolate or spathulate, 10-60 × 1-5 mm (sometimes lf shape varies little from base to shoot apex). Peduncles 2-5-(7) mm long, usually puberulent. Calyx lobes 0.9-1.5 mm long, linear to triangular, acute or acuminate. Corolla 6-10 mm long, white, pale blue (often deeper blue on lower lip), less commonly pale pink; lobes of lower lip 5-8 mm long, linear to oblong. Capsule 6-12 mm long, narrow-clavate to almost cylindric.
N.; S.: to c. 45° in the east and throughout in the west; K., Ch.
Also indigenous to Chile, Australia, South Africa.
Coastal and lowlands, often among rocks and on cliffs near the sea.
FL Sep-May.
L. anceps is a very variable sp. Many Australian works describe the taxon under the later name L. alata Labill., but because some N.Z. plants resemble plants in South Africa, the type region, the name L. anceps is retained here.
