Records from PROSEA[] are for Lobelia angulata J.G.Forst. However, it is assumed that either they were intended for Lobelia nummularia, or that the same uses apply for Lobelia nummularia. The bases for this assumption are:- 1). Lobelia nummularia is given as a synonym of Lobelia angulata. However, in the 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families' Lobelia nummularia is recognised as distinct. 2). The range of Lobelia angulata is given as extending from India and China, through tropical Asia to Australia and New Zealand. The 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families', however, says that Lobelia angulata is restricted to New Zealand and some Pacific Islands, whilst Lobelia nummularia covers the rest of that range. 3). All the uses given in [] apply to southeast Asia[].

Common Name:

General Information

Lobelia nummularia is a polymorphous, annual to perennial, creeping or hanging plant. The branched stems can be 8 - 60cm long, forming roots at the nodes[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food.

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

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea, Australia

Habitat

Unshaded to shaded moist soils along rivers, along forest roads and in secondary forest, locally abundant in tea plantations, in Java between 600 - 3,300 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Ripe fruits[].

Medicinal

The plant is used in the treatment of irregular menstruation and spermatorrhoea[].
A paste made from the plant is applied topically to treat muscular swellings[].

The pounded leaves are sometimes used in the treatment of sprue[].

The fruits or leaves are used to treat stomach-ache, difficult urination, scabies, infected eyes, swellings and boils[]. A paste made from the fruit is taken as a treatment for diarrhoea and dysentery[].
A paste of the fruits is applied topically to treat cuts and wounds[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: How many fingers does the typical human have?