Shield flowers

Shield flowers
	Leaning shield flower ( Chelone obliqua )
Systematics
	Asterids
	Euasterids I
Order :	Mint family (Lamiales)
Family :	Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)
Tribe :	Cheloneae
Genre :	Shield flowers
Scientific name
	Chelon
	L.

The shield flowers ( chelons ), also called snakeheads or badmouths , are a genus of plants in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). The common English name of this species is "Turtlehead". The five or so species are widespread in North America , including Mexico . Varieties of several kinds are cultivated as ornamental plants.

description

Illustration from American medicinal plants ..., plate 113 of the bald shield flower ( Chelone glabra )

Vegetative characteristics

Shield flowers are perennial , herbaceous plants . The opposite leaves are simple.

Generative characteristics

Showy flowers stand together in spiked or paniculate inflorescences with bracts . The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and five-fold with a double flower envelope . They form double, many-seeded capsule fruits .

Systematics

The genus Chelone was established by Carl von Linné . The botanical genus name Chelone is based on the Greek word χελώνα (/ çeˈlona /, chelone), which means something like turtle .

In the genus shield flowers ( Chelone L. ) about five species are known:

Blue shield flower ( Chelone caerulea (Nutt.) Spreng. )
Cuthbert's shield flower ( Chelone cuthbertii Small )
Bald shield flower ( Chelone glabra L. ): It is widespread in North America, Canada and the United States.
Lyons shield flower also called mountain shield flower ( Chelone lyonii Pursh ): The home is Canada and the USA.
Leaning shield flower also called snakehead or badmouth ( Chelone obliqua L. ): Three varieties occur in the USA.

supporting documents

literature

Allan D. Nelson, Wayne J. Elisens: Polyploid evolution and biogeography in Chelone (Scrophulariaceae): morphological and isozyme evidence. In: American Journal of Botany , Volume 86, 1999, pp. 1487-1501. on-line.
Walter Erhardt et al .: The big pikeperch. Encyclopedia of Plant Names. Volume 2. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5406-7 .

Individual evidence

↑ Chelone in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved December 6, 2018.

Web links

Commons : Shield Flowers ( Chelone ) - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Distribution maps of the four Chelon species in the United States at USDA .

[GRIN-1] Chelone in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved December 6, 2018.