Lobelia angulata

Lobelia angulata is a creeping, wide-spreading, herbaceous plant that can grow in mats of up to 1 metre in diameter. It produces roots at the leaf nodes. Fruit is crowned by calyx lobes, with a foamy, thick-walled flesh. Hollow locules inside the fruit contain the small seeds The seeds are orange-brown with a darker spot at the apex and hilum, and are ovular or slightly oblong in shape. The seed testa has a faint but widespread texture consisting of ridges and pits, with the seed being sticky and glabrous. Lobelia angulata plants also differ in size depending on altitude, as those from higher altitudes are typically smaller in size in comparison to those from lower altitudes. , Canterbury. ==Distribution==

Lobelia angulata is naturally endemic to New Zealand and some of its offshore islands. It has also become an established exotic plant in the British Isles. Lobelia angulata cannot thrive in environments that get too dry. It grows in well-lit sites as well as those with some or light shade. ==Ecology==

Life cycle and phenology Lobelia angulata has a long season for flowering and fruiting, with both flowers and ripe fruits often being seen on the plant at the same time. Lobelia angulata is a perennial plant, and thus lives longer than one year or season, and also has a fast rate of growth. Dipterans known to visit its flowers include the Syrphid hoverfly Melangyna novaezelandiae and Tachinid flies such as Heteria plebeia, Gracilicera politiventris, Procissio cana and species in the genera Occisor and Protohystricia. Other animals such as the Paradise Shelduck and other birds will also feed on the fruits. The leaves of Lobelia angulata are also fed upon by various insects. Most notably is a currently undescribed species of Drosophilid fly in the genus Scaptomyza, which is known to be a leaf miner of L. angulata. The larvae of this fly form yellowish mines and a powdery white exudate on the leaves and pupate in older leaves. The alpine Acridid grasshoppers Sigaus australis, Paprides nitidus and Brachaspis nivalis are also known to feed on the leaves, as well as the flowers and fruits. ==Other information==

Lobelia angulata is a gynodioecious plant, in this case meaning that some individual plants may be male, female or both. In fact, the hybridisation of different species of New Zealand Lobelia is seemingly a major factor in their evolution. Lobelia angulata is one of several New Zealand native plants that has been trialed as ground cover for vineyards. It was a reasonably promising species for this purpose, but other plant species were seen as more effective. Lobelia angulata has become a popular plant in cultivation, especially due to its attractive whitish flowers and reddish fruits. It is typically grown in rock gardens and becomes a vigorous ground cover. This is the reason why L. angulata was initially brought to the United Kingdom (UK), before then spreading throughout many regions of the British Isles. It is easy to grow from cuttings, but can also be germinated from seed. Māori people of the Tuhoe tribe in the Urewera district of the North Island were known to gather the tiny leaves of Lobelia angulata, cook them and eat them as greens. ==References==