Lobelia inflata (Bladderpod)

Lobelia inflata

Lobelia inflata L.

Bladderpod, Indian Tobacco, Wild Tobacco, Pukeweed, Asthma Weed, Vomitwort

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Campanulaceae	Campanula or bellflower family; means “bell-shaped flowers”
Genus	Lobelia	Named for Flemish botanist Matthias de l’Obel, also known as Lobelius
Species	inflata	“Inflated,” a reference to the base of the flower

About plant names...

Indian tobacco is a North American native plant.

Identification: These plants are 6-28" (15-70 cm) in height. Stems have fine hairs. Leaves are 2-3" (5-7.6 cm) long and half as wide, roughly oval in shape, with fine teeth. Flowers are ¼" (6.3 mm) in size, white to pale blue or lavender in color, with a lower lip split into three sections, an an inflated base that becomes a seed pod about ¼" (8.5 mm) across. Flowers are bilaterally symmetrical, and they appear from July to October. Usually the flower stalks are on angled, leafless branches from the main stem, in addition to the main stem itself. Although the flowers are small, these pod-studded branches, like rattles, are the most easily identified characteristic.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones This plant has been used in the past to induce vomiting, hence the name “pukeweed.” When eaten, in addition to nausea, it can cause convulsions or coma. These effects do not occur from smoking.

Medical: Indian tobacco has long been smoked as a remedy for asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and cough, both by native Americans and by some herbalists even today. Lobeline, an active ingredient, was tried as a substitute for nicotine in helping people to quit smoking. Although it may actually help for this purpose, there is not enough research data to support it, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its use for this purpose in 1993. This plant has also been used as a purgative (like ipecac), eaten to induce vomiting, but it is too dangerous for this purpose.

Online References:

Lobelia inflata on Ontario Wildflowers

Lobelia inflata at Minnesota Wildflowers

Lobelia inflata at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Lobelia inflata at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Lobelia inflata at the University of Maryland Medical Center

Lobelia inflata at Botanical.com

Lobelia inflata on the USDA Plants Database

Lobelia inflata on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site