Chelone (plant)

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] C. cuthbertii, C. glabra, and C. lyonii are diploid and C. obliqua is either tetraploid or hexaploid.^[1]

Relationships to other plants[edit]

The closest relatives of Chelone are Chionophila and Nothochelone from western North America.^[1] It is also more closely related to Collinsia than to other members of the family such as snapdragons, plantains, and foxglove.^[3]

Species[edit]

C. glabra is the most widely distributed species of the genus: from Georgia to Newfoundland and from Mississippi to Manitoba;^[4] the other three are found in more restricted areas.

C. lyonii is found in the Blue Ridge of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.^[1]

C. cuthbertii is found in two areas: the Blue Ridge of North Carolina and the coastal plain of Virginia.^[1]

C. 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]

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] The four species seem to have diverged recently.^[1]