Robust Lobelia

Lobelia robusta Graham, Edinb. New Phil. Jour 11:378. 1831.
Not separable by vegetative characters from L. assurgens, but less pubescent and with much smaller flowers; bracteoles of the pedicel 4—10 mm. long; flower-bracts linear, about 0.15 cm. wide by 2.5-3 cm. long, the lower larger; flower not inverted in anthesis, 20-25 mm. long, including hypanthium; corolla 15-19 mm. long, pinkish to rose, dark red, or dull purple, the tube 7-10 mm. long, entire except for the dorsal fissure (sometimes fenestrate at base in age), curved near the distal end and the lobes further curved, so that the corolla as a whole is strongly recurved-falcate, the two lobes next the dorsal fissure 7-9 mm. long, the three others 5-6 mm. long; filament-tube pink, 8-12 (15) mm. long, deflexed and much exserted, pubescent, especially along the margins of the filaments, which are united half their length or less; anther-tube lead-colored, 5-6 mm. long, the larger anthers smooth or sparsely bearded in a line along the back, all anthers sometimes tufted at base, the two smaller short white-bearded at tip; hypanthium in anthesis cup-shaped, short-campanulate, or short-turbinate, in fruit turbinate to hemispheric or subglobose, 7-10 mm. broad; capsule about half inferior or a Httle less, 8-12 mm. long; seeds as in L. assurgens, about 0.5-0,6 mm. long.
Type locality: Haiti.
Pedicels in fruit 18-27 (40) mm. long; bracteoles of the pedicel
mostly below the middle; calyx-lobes narrowly deltoid or
lanceolate, obscurely toothed or subentire, 2-2.5 (3) mm. wide
just above the often dilated-deltoid base, usually more than
three times as long as wide ; native of Hispaniola and easteni
Cuba. 59fl. /.. robusta var. robusta.
Pedicels in fruit 30-50 mm. long; bracteoles of the pedicel mostly
above the middle; calyx-lobes mostly deltoid, strongly
pectinately toothed, 2.5-3.5 mm. vride just above the base,
usually less than three times as long as wide; native of Puerto
Rico. 596. L. robustavar. porlo-ricensis.
59a. Lobelia robusta var. robusta McVaugh, var. nov.
Lobelia robusta Graham, loc. cit., as to type. Tylomium rohustum Presl, Prodr. Mon. Lob. 32. 1836. Tupa robusta A. DC. in DC. Prodr. 7: 394. 1839. Dortmannia robusta Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 973. 1891.
Pedicels in fruit 18-27 (40) mm. long; bracteoles of the pedicels mostly below the middle; calyx-lobes narrowly deltoid or lanceolate, usually more than three times as long as wide, obscurely toothed or subentire, 2-2.5 (3) mm. wide just above the base, which is usually dilated-deltoid.
Distribution: Mountains of Hispaniola and eastern Cuba, mostly at elevations of 500 m. or more.