Lobelia sulawesiensis Lammers, 2011

Lammers, Th. G., 2011, Revision of the Malesian species of Lobelia section Rhynchopetalum (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), Blumea 56 (3), pp. 218-224 : 221-222

2. Lobelia sulawesiensis Lammers , sp. nov. — Fig. 2

Species celebensis affinis Lobeliae philippinensi sed ab hac specie calycis lobis brevioribus 4–6 mm longis hypanthium aequantibus vel sesquilongioribus, corolla subbilabiata breviore 22–25 mm longa, et filamentorum tubo breviore 13 –18 mm longo distinguenda. — Holotypus: Sands 590 ( K), Indonesia, Sulawesi, Enrekang Distr., Latimojong Mts , on steep slope southeast of Rantelemo in valley 3 km southwest of Bunte Tjejeng , 1620 m, below contour-culvert on south-facing slope, partial shade in litter over clay soil, very young secondary forest growth, 26 Nov. 1969 .

Plants lacking rhizomes. Stems suffruticose, 3 – 4 m tall, 7–14 mm diam, simple or branched above, erect, fistulose, glabrous to hispid. Leaves sessile, cauline; lamina lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 9.5–18 by 1.5– 3 cm, subcoriaceous, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hispid along veins, abaxial surface sparsely to moderately hispid along veins; apex acuminate; base cuneate; margin callose-serrulate or callose-denticulate. Inflorescence well demarcated but sessile, 50 –100-flowered, branched at base; rachis sparsely hispid; bracts linear, 10–12 by 0.9–1.2 mm, only slightly longer than their pedicels, hispid, acuminate at apex, the margin entire; pedicels spreading, 8 –11 mm long, bibracteolate at middle, hispid; bracteoles linear, 1 mm long. Hypanthium campanulate or obconic, 4 –4.5 by 2.5 – 3.5 mm, hispid; base acute. Calyx lobes linear-triangular, 4 – 6 by 0.8 –1 mm, equalling to half again as long as hypanthium, erect, sparsely hispid; apex acuminate; margin entire. Corolla pale violet or mauve-pink, sub-bilabiate, 22–25 mm long, 6 times longer than hypanthium, externally glabrous or short-pubescent toward base, densely pubescent inside tube; tube straight, 7–11 by c. 2 mm, 2.8– 5.5 times longer than broad, tapering slightly from base to mouth; dorsal lobes linear, 12–16 by 0.8 mm; ventral lobes elliptic, 12–16 by 2 – 3 mm, connate for half or a little more their length, forming a lip 2.5 –6.5 mm wide. Staminal column exserted, emerging from corolla via its dorsal slit; filament tube 12–13 mm, 3–3.3 times longer than the dorsal anthers, sparsely short-pubescent in lines toward base; anther tube grey, c. 1.5 mm diam, its surface glabrous; dorsal anthers c. 4 mm long; ventral anthers 2.9– 3 mm long, bearded at apex with white trichomes 2– 2.5 mm long. Capsule oblong or ellipsoid, 9 –10 by 5– 6 mm, the beak c. 1 mm; seeds amber-coloured, c. 0.5 by 0.3 – 0.4 mm, broadly ellipsoid, compressed, the testa finely striate.

Distribution — Endemic to Central and South Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Habitat & Ecology — Evergreen forest and meadows at 800–1620 m. Flowering and fruiting: April through November.

Additional specimens. INDONESIA, Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Kantewoe Torr, Kaudern 289 ( S) ; Northern Peninsula, between Palu and Parigi, 35 km from Palu, 0°53'S, 120°E, Meijer 9408 ( L) ; South Sulawesi, Rante Lemo, Kjellberg 1523 ( S) .