Lobelia kirkii R. E. Fr.

kirkii: named after Dr John Kirk, who accompanied David Livingstone on his Zambezi expedition of 1858

Annual or short-lived perennial herb. This species is closely related and very similar to the L. erinus L. In fact, the distinctions, based on differences in size of leaves, pedicels, calyx lobes and stamens, are rather unconvincing, to say the least. All given size ranges overlap and specimens from the same area, said to belong to L. erinus are also present at SRGH, looking very much the same. All in all this species could well be a slightly more succulent form of L. erinus, adapted to wet places.

Angola (?), Zambia, Zimbabwe.