Indian Tobacco

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US, Turkey, US(IN), US(Appalachia), UK, Mongolia

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antismoking, Asthma, Bronchitis, Cancer

Science studied: ALKALOIDS, ALUMINUM, ASCORBIC-ACID, CALCIUM

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Campanulaceae

Scientific name: Lobelia inflata

Common names: Indian Tobacco, Lobelia, Aufgeblasene Lobelie, Blaaslobelia, Erva-da-asma, Indian tobacco, Indian-tobacco, Indian-tobacco (EN), Indianer-Tabak, Kızıldereli tütünü, Lobelie, Lowbelia, Puke Weed, hierba del asma

POWO: 143415-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US, Turkey, Elsewhere, US(IN), US(Appalachia), UK, Mongolia.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antismoking
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Cancer
• Cancer(Breast)
• Convulsion
• Emetic
• Expectorant

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US
• Turkey
• Elsewhere
• US(IN)
• US(Appalachia)
• UK
• Mongolia

Documented cultural uses

• Antismoking
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Cancer
• Cancer(Breast)
• Convulsion
• Emetic
• Expectorant
• Eye
• Fumitory
• Nervine
• Nicotinism

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Antismoking · US · "
• Asthma · Turkey · "
• Asthma · Elsewhere · "
• Bronchitis · Elsewhere · "
• Cancer · US · "
• Cancer(Breast) · US(IN) · "
• Convulsion · US · "
• Emetic · Turkey · "
• Emetic · US · "
• Emetic · US(Appalachia) · "
• Expectorant · Turkey · "
• Expectorant · Elsewhere · "
• Eye · US(Appalachia) · "
• Fumitory · US(Appalachia) · "
• Nervine · Turkey · "
• Nicotinism · UK · "
• Nicotinism · Elsewhere · "
• Nicotinism · US · "
• Poison · US · "
• Poison · Turkey · "
• Sialogogue · Turkey · "
• Spasm · Turkey · "
• Spasm · Elsewhere · "
• Sudorific · Turkey · "

9 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Latitudinal trends in mating system traits in the highly self-fertilizing <i>Lobelia inflata</i> revealed by community science. · 2023 source ↗
• Genotype-environment interaction and the maintenance of genetic variation: an empirical study of <i>Lobelia inflata</i> (Campanulaceae). · 2020 source ↗
• Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata (Campanulaceae)(1.). · 2014 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ALKALOIDS
• ALUMINUM
• ASCORBIC-ACID
• CALCIUM
• BETA-CAROTENE
• CHELIDONIC-ACID
• 8,10-DIETHYL-LOBELIDIOL
• 8-ETHYL-NORLOBELOL-I
• FAT
• FIBER
• ISOLOBININE
• KILOCALORIES
• LELOBANIDINE-II
• LOBELANIDINE
• LOBINANIDINE
• LOBININE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

checking published revisions…