from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Lobelia \Lo*be"li*a\ (?; 106), n. [NL. So called from Lobel,
botanist to King James I.] (Bot.)
A genus of plants, including a great number of species.
{Lobelia inflata}, or Indian tobacco, is an annual plant of
North America, whose leaves contain a poisonous white viscid
juice, of an acrid taste. It has often been used in medicine
as an emetic, expectorant, etc. {Lobelia cardinalis} is the
cardinal flower, remarkable for the deep and vivid red color
of its flowers.
[1913 Webster]