Perenniel herbs (sometimes annual), rarely shrubs or shrubby herbs; Africa only Capeprovince and north
Distribution
cosmopolitical, temperate areas of both hemispheres, especially the north
Floral characters
Radial to slightly zygomorphic; Calyx 5; Corolla 5, connate; androecium of 5 stamen; gynoecium 2, 3 or 5 carpells, syncarpous, ovar epigynous, rarely hypogynous; flowers are protandric; colour: mostly variations of blue, sometimes red or yellow
Leaf characters
Alternate, rarely opposite; simple, seldom pinnately, without stipules
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
A capsule dehiscent, seldom berries; seeds with much endosperm
Glands
absent
Hairs
present
Latex
present
Odor
without odor
Uses
Lobelia inflata (but often put in an own family Lobeliaceae) ornamental plants
Chemical characters
latex containing tripertens and phytosteroles; inulin, not starch for storage
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Unterfamilie Nemacladoideae (Campanulaceae)
map: from Wimmer 1968
Unterfamilie Campanuloideae (Campanulaceae)
map: from Hultén 1971; Thulin 1975; Shulkina 1978; FloraBase v.2011
Unterfamilie Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae)
map: see Wimmer 1943; Meusel & Jäger 1992; FloraBase 2007
Unterfamilie Cyphocarpoideae (Campanulaceae)
map: from Thulin 1978
Unterfamilie Cyphoideae (Campanulaceae)
map: from Thulin 1978, N. B., not known from Cape Verde Islands
