Lobelia tupa L., Campanulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Common name(s): [more details]

English: tupa

Spanish: tabaco del diablo, trupa, tupa

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Planta arbustiva siempreverde que alcanza una altura de hasta 4 m. Tallos erectos, huecos llenos de látex blanco. Tallos nuevos de color rojo-púrpura. Hojas simples, sésiles, de borde finamente aserrado, forma variable generalmente oblonga con el ápice agudo. Láminas de color verde cenicienta de 10-15 cm de longitud, pubescentes, especialmente en el envés. Flores hermafroditas de 4-5 cm de longitud, reunidas en racimos terminales. Cáliz formado por 5 sépalos fusionados, corola de 5 pétalos de color púrpura, unidos en la base. Estambres 5. El fruto es una cápsula bi-valva con numerosas semillas en su interior"  (Enciclopedia de la Flora Chilena).

Habitat/ecology:  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m. Somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter; humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month). Some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Chile (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 555)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Lobelia tupa is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Lobelia tupa as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Lobelia tupa may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.