Chelone is a genus of four[1] species of perennial herbaceous plants native to eastern North America.[1][2] They all have similarly shaped flowers (which led to the name turtlehead due to their resemblance to the head of a turtle), which vary in color from white to red, purple or pink.[1] Chelone cuthbertii, C. glabra, and C. lyonii are diploid and C. obliqua is either tetraploid or hexaploid, depending on their slight differences in morphology and localities.[1]

Chelone
Chelone glabra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Tribe:	Cheloneae
Genus:	Chelone L.
Species
Chelone cuthbertii Chelone glabra Chelone lyonii Chelone obliqua

Etymology

Chelone is derived from Greek meaning ‘turtle-like’, in reference to its turtle head-shaped corollas.[3]

Relationships to other plants

The closest relative of Chelone is Nothochelone from western North America.[1] ^{[3] [6]} Nothochelone nemerosa is the species most closely related to the genus ^{[3] [6]}. Chelone is more closely related to it than to other members of the family such as snapdragons, plantains, and foxglove.[4]

Species

Chelone glabra is the most widely distributed species of the genus: from Georgia to Newfoundland and from Mississippi to Manitoba;[5] ^{[5] [6]} the other three are found in more restricted areas.

Chelone cuthbertii is found in two areas: the Blue Ridge of North Carolina and the coastal plain of Virginia.[1] ^{[5] [6]}

Chelone lyonii is found in the Blue Ridge of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.[1] ^{[5] [6]}

Chelone obliqua is found as tetraploids in the Blue Ridge, or hexaploids in two areas: Tennessee to Arkansas and Michigan, or the Atlantic coastal plain from South Carolina to Maryland.[1] ^{[5] [6]}

The relationship between the different populations is complicated and it appears that C. obliqua in fact has arisen several times from diploid ancestors of the other three species.[1] ^{[5] [6]} The four species seem to have diverged recently.[1] ^{[5] [6]}

References

• A. D. Nelson. 2012. Chelone. Flora of North America http://floranorthamerica.org/files/Chelone03f.CH%20for%20Prov%20Pub.pdf
• NELSON, A.D. 1995. Polyploid evolution in Chelone (Scrophulariaceae). Ph.D. dissertation, University of. Oklahoma, Norman.
• Chelone L. Plants of the World Online
• Accepted species Plants of the World Online

• Media related to Chelone at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Chelone at Wikispecies

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[es] Chelone

[ru] Хелоне