Illinois bell flowers
Trying to learn to distinguish the bell flowers found in Illinois.
Useful Terms:
Acintomorphic – radial symmetry (daisy)
Zygomorphic – only one way to make symmetrical (orchid)
corolla – the collective petals of a flower
sessile – without stem/stalk
Split Corolla – Lobelia
Leaves sessile, often clasping. Solitary sessile flower – Triodanis
Else - Campanula
Triodanis
bracts circular or ovate T. perfoliata
bracts linear or lanceolate T. leptocarpa (rare)
Lobelias
Red – Lobelia cardinalis
Rose – might be a hybrid of cardinalis and siphilitica
Blue (sometimes white)-
- not very hairy, larger flowers, lancelate or oblong ovate leaves L. siphilitica
- southern Illinois, really hairy stems etc, smaller flowers L. puberula
Chicago area, bottom petals hairy, small flowers, pale blue, not very dense racemes, thin upper leaves,
spatula bottom leaves L. kalmii
L. inflata, small pale blue flowers with inflated seed capsules
L. spicata, tiny pale blue or white flowers
Campanula
narrow leaves
- not very hairy: rotundifolia
- white corolla: aparinoides
blue corolla: ulginosa
ovate leaves- splayed out flower: americana
- flowers with short pedicle, drooping, 1 sided raceme: rapunculoides
- sessile errect flowers: glomerata
