n 1  cap  :  any of a genus (Lobeliaof the family Lobeliaceae, the lobelia family) of widely distributed herbaceous plants (as Indian tobacco)  2  :  the leaves and tops of Indian tobacco used esp. formerly as an expectorant and antispasmodic
 
L'Obel or  Lo*bel  , Mathias de (1538-1616), Flemish botanist. L'Obel ranks among the great botanists who preceded Linnaeus. In 1570 he published a work describing more than 1200 plants. He classified plants according to leaf structure, and he apparently tried to incorporate into his classification concepts of genus and family. The genus Lobeliawas named in his honor in 1702 by the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1704).
 
   
 
Similar sounding terms:   label  la·bi·al  la·bile  lob·ule 
 
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