lobelia
UK[ləʊˈbiːliə]US[loʊˈbiːliə]
n
A plant of the bellflower family, typically having blue, red, white, or yellow flowers with a three-lobed lower lip.
Etymology
The word 'lobelia' is a New Latin formation, created in the 18th century to honor the Flemish botanist Matthias de l'Obel (Latinized as 'Lobelius'). It follows the botanical convention of naming plant genera after notable figures by adding the Latin suffix '-ia', which denotes 'belonging to' or 'connected with'. Therefore, the word's logic is not rooted in descriptive Greek or Latin morphemes but is a direct eponym, a tribute that became the standard taxonomic label for this widespread genus of flowering plants.
Analysis
This is a modern Latin genus name, adopted directly into English. It is not productively segmented using English morphemes.
Examples
The garden was filled with the vibrant blue spikes of lobelia.
Lobelia erinus is a popular trailing variety used in hanging baskets and window boxes.
Some species of lobelia contain alkaloids that have been used in traditional medicine.