1 86 CHELONE GLABRA. TURTLE-HEAD. 



Stamen is produced to the length and of the strength of the four 

 perfect stamens, though we can see it has still imperfect anthers ; 

 but the fifth in this family being so conspicuously prominent, 

 even to this extent, earned for the genus its botanical name 

 Pent- (or fifth) stemon. Now, our present subject, Chelone (pro- 

 nounced in three syllables), is much like Pcntstemon in this 

 respect, though, while the fifth or imperfect stamen is developed 

 to the full length in Pentstemon, it is much shorter than the other 

 four in our present subject, and botanists dwell much on this in 

 noting the differences between the two. There are also some 

 litde differences in the peculiar compression of the corolla in 

 Chelone, and in the general appearance ; and, after all, it is a 

 question whether it is not rather because of the general appear- 

 ance of the plant and flower that it is kept separate from Pent- 

 stenion, for very few persons, unacquainted with the niceties of 

 botanical classification, would at first take it for a Pcntstemon. 

 There is, however, one little point which seems characteristic and 

 sufficient to decide them, and that is in the seed, which has always 

 around it a broad membraneous wing, never to be found in Pcnt- 

 stemon, so that this, with the general distinct appearance, might 

 be relied on to disdnguish. But even the general appearance is 

 not always to be relied on, for the " Botany of the Californian 

 Geological Survey" tells us that there is a plant in Oregon so 

 exactly like a Pcntstemon, that one has to note the membraneous 

 border to the seeds before knowing that it is a Chelone. On the 

 other hand, there are some Pentstemons that have been thought to 

 be Chclones, and the whole teaches us on how slender founda- 

 tions often stand what we think are very distinct genera. 



As to how one form may grow out of another, a hint may be 

 gathered from a communication by Mr. Henry F. Young to the 

 Bulledn of the Torrey Botanical Club for 1872. As already 

 noted in Chelone, the fifth or false stamen is much shorter than 

 the others, but Mr. Young found a flower in which were five per- 

 fect stamens. This is a very important fact as showing the line 

 of descent. In this genus and most of its allies the calyx is five- 



