Siphocampylos
(from siphon, a tube, and kampylos, curved; alluding to the form of the corolla). SYN. Lobelia (of Presl). ORD. Campanulaceae. A large genus (nearly 100 species) of very beautiful, glabrous, hairy, or stellate-tomentose, stove or greenhouse herbs, sub-shrubs, or shrubs, sometimes climbing, natives of tropical America. Flowers red, orange, or purplish, rarely greenish, usually large; calyx tube adnate, the limb of five leafy lobes; corolla straight or incurved, the lobes often incurved, equal or unequal, sometimes bilabiate, the lateral ones sometimes connate with the upper ones; staminal tube adnate to the base of the corolla; peduncles one-flowered, ebracteate or minutely bibracteolate, axillary or forming clustered corymbs or loose racemes at the tips of the branches. Leaves alternate, rarely whorled, entire or denticulate, rarely incised-toothed or pinnately lobed or dissected. The introduced species are described below. They succeed in light, turfy loam, and peat, and are propagated by cuttings. Except where otherwise indicated, they are herbaceous perennials.
S. amoenus (pleasing). A synonym of S. villosulus.
S. betulaefolius (Birch-leaved).* fl. red; calyx segments six times shorter than the corolla; pedicels axillary, solitary, exceeding the leaves. July. l. petiolate, ovate, acuminate, sub-cordate-triangular, 2in. long, somewhat double serrated, glabrous above, slenderly pubescent on the nerves beneath; petioles nearly 1in. long. Stem branched, terete, glabrous. h. 3ft. Organ Mountains, 1842. Stove. (B. M. 3973; P. M. B. ix. 223.)
S. bicolor (two-coloured). A garden synonym of Lobelia laxiflora angustifolia.
S. canus (hoary). A synonym of S. macropodus.
S. coccineus (scarlet).* fl. scarlet, nodding; corolla dilated upwards and curved, the limb scarcely bilabiate; peduncles longer than the leaves, axillary, solitary, one-flowered. July. l. ovate, acute, shortly petiolate, sometimes slightly lobed, doubly serrated. h. 3ft. Organ Mountains, 1844. A glabrous, stove sub-shrub. (B. M. 4178; F. d. S. ii. 9; P. M. B. xii. 173.) The variety leucostomus (F. d. S. 648) differs from the type in having the limb of the corolla almost white. A garden form, raised in the gardens of the King of Belgium, in 1850.
S. crenatifolius (crenate-leaved). fl. scarlet, tipped with yellow, axillary, solitary. Summer. l. oblong-elliptic, irregularly crenate, 5in. to 6in. long. h. 3ft. Brazil, previous to 1870. A showy, warm greenhouse shrub. (Ref. B. 227.)
S. fimbriatus (fringed). A synonym of S. longepedunculatus. S. fulgens (brilliant). A synonym of S. Humboldtianus.
S. giganteus (gigantic). fl. reddish-yellow; corolla falcate, velvety, the tube equalling the calyx lobes, the lobes lanceolate-ovate; pedicels bibracteolate at base, often longer than the leaves. July. l. lanceolate, cuspidate-acuminate, 6in. to 9in. long, narrowed at base, scarcely petiolate, wrinkled, crenate-toothed, glabrous above, pilose beneath. Stem 14ft. or more in height; branches pubescent. New Grenada. Stove.
S. glandulosus (glandular).* fl. rose-coloured, nodding; calyx lobes spreading, with reflexed margins, deeply glandular-serrated; corolla tube curved, compressed, clavate, the limb segments nearly equal, erecto-patent; peduncles axillary, solitary, shorter than the leaves, one-flowered, bibracteate below the middle. July. l. rather long-stalked, cordate, wrinkled, doubly toothed. h. 3ft. Bogota, 1845. A softly pubescent, stove plant. (B. M. 4331; F. d. S. 401.) S. hamatus (hooked). fl. violet, in short, dense, terminal racemes; calyx lobes hooked, spreading; corolla tube curved, laterally angular-compressed, the segments nearly equal, elongated; primary bracts hooked at apex. June. l. alternate, petiolate, oblong-ovate or slightly cordate, acuminate, attenuated towards the base, irregularly toothed, the nerves prominent beneath. h. 6ft. Brazil, 1849. A tomentose-pubescent, greenhouse plant.
S. Humboldtianus (Humboldt's).* fl. scarlet; calyx lobes ovate-triangular, shorter than the tube; corolla tube straight, the segments ovate-lanceolate, upper ones longer; pedicels axillary, compressed, equalling the leaves. Summer. l. petiolate, ovate or lanceolate, acute at both ends, argutely denticulate, glabrescent above. Branches angular, densely pubescent. h. 3ft. Peru, 1867. Stove. (B. M. 5631.) SYN. S. fulgens (F. M. 313).
S. lantanifolius (Lantana-leaved). fl. purplish, eight to ten together; calyx velvety; corolla narrow, incurved, with acuminate lobes; pedicels corymbose. July. l. ovate, acute, 1 1/2in. long, obtuse at base, sometimes slightly cordate, shortly petiolate, glabrous and wrinkled above, fuscous-tomentose beneath, the margins denticulate. Branches straight, simple, somewhat woody, terete. h. 3ft. Caraccas, 1841. Stove shrub.
S. l. glabriusculus (slightly glabrous). l., together with the pedicels and calyx, scarcely pubescent. (B. M. 4105, under name of S. lantanifolius.)
S. longepedunculatus (long-pedunculate). fl. purplish, on axillary pedicels longer than the leaves; calyx segments acute, much shorter than the corolla; corolla nearly 2in. long, narrow, sub-arcuate. January. l. alternate, ovate, acuminate, 3in. to 4in. long, membranous, cordate, petiolate, argutely toothed. Stem terete, 3ft. high. Rio de Janeiro, 1841. Stove. (B. M. 4015.) SYN. S. fimbriatus (R. G. 600).
S. macropodus (large-footed). fl. bluish-red; calyx hairy; corolla four times as long as the calyx, the tube ventricose above, the inferior lobes reflexed; pedicels almost equalling the leaves, puberulous. June. l. ovate, acute, 3in. long, shortly petiolate, crenate, slightly hairy above, pubescent beneath. Stem slightly branched, hairy, 2ft. to 3ft. high. Minas Geraes. Stove. SYN. S. canus.
S. manettiaeflorus (Manettia-flowered).* fl. red and yellow, as long as the leaves; calyx segments subulate, serrated; corolla laterally compressed, the segments nearly equal, erecto-patent; peduncles solitary, axillary, one-flowered, bibracteate, three or four times longer than the leaves. April. l. very shortly petiolate, oblong-ovate, obscurely serrated, reticulated, shining above. h. 1ft. New Grenada, 1848. An erect, dwarf, stove sub-shrub. (B. M. 4403; P. M. B. xv. 267.) SYN. S. nitidus (of gardens).
S. microstoma (small-mouthed). fl. scarlet, shortly pedunculate, in terminal umbels; calyx segments obtuse, spreading; corolla pubescent, swollen above, laterally compressed, the segments small, linear, obtuse, connivent, pilose. September. l. alternate, shortly petiolate, ovate, acute, 2in. long, glandular-serrate, glabrous. Stem 2ft. to 3ft. high, glabrous; branches terete. New Grenada, 1844. An erect, stove sub-shrub. (B. M. 4286; F. d. S. 444; L. & P. F. G. ii. 44.)
S. nitidus (shining). A garden synonym of S. manettiaeflorus.
S. Orbignianus (d'Orbigny's). fl. yellow and red, numerous in the upper axils; calyx lobes thrice as long as the tube; corolla much longer than the calyx, with linear lobes; pedicels half as long as the leaves. July. l. ternate, ovate, acuminate, shortly petiolate, unequally and acutely toothed, 3in. to 4in. long, puberulous beneath. Branches erect, terete. h. 2ft. or more. Bolivia, 1849. Stove. (B. M. 4713; F. d. S. 544; L. & P. F. G. i. p. iii.; L. J. F. iv. 425.) S. penduliflorus (pendulous-flowered). fl. scarlet, nodding; calyx segments two or three times as long as the tube; corolla segments linear, half exceeding the tube; pedicels 1in. long; racemes terminal, solitary, long, loose-flowered. June. l. opposite, rather long-stalked, ovate-oblong, slightly acute, remotely serrulated, rather thick. h. 2ft. Caraccas, 1847. A highly glabrous, stove, climbing shrub. (F. d. S. 763.)
S. scandens (climbing). fl. scarlet, scattered, on pedicels two to four lines long; corolla tube nearly 1in. long, the segments falcate, sub-equal, reflexed. July. l. petiolate, reflexed, oblong, obtuse, 1in. to 1 3/4in. long, somewhat acute at base, slightly fleshy, the margins quite entire and revolute. Stem climbing. Peru, 1847. Stove shrub.
S. surinamensis (Surinam). A synonym of Centropogon surinamensis.
S. villosulus (slightly hairy). fl. reddish-orange; corolla small, nearly straight, the segments narrow and acute; pedicels longer than the calyx; racemes terminal, many-flowered. June. l. alternate, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed into the petiole, above silky, and of a pleasing green, very shortly puberulous beneath. Stem branched. h. 3ft. Brazil, 1832. Greenhouse. (F. d. S. 619; L. & P. F. G. ii. p. 135, under name of S. amoenus.)