34 SCROPHULARIACE^. Chelonb. 



Tribe III. DIGITALEJE. Benth. 



Corolla tubular, mostly ventricose, 2-lipped. Stamens 4 fertile and often a fifth sterile one, 

 declined at the base, and mostly ascending at the extremity : anthers 2-celled ; the lobes 

 finally divaricate and confluent. Capsule hard, 2-valved, septicidal ; the valves 2-cleft 

 or 2-parted. 



5. CHELONE. Linn.; Endl. gen. 2908. SHELL-FLOWER. 



[ From the Greek, chelone, a tortoise ; the flowers somewhat resembling the head of that animal.] 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla ringent, ventricose and gibbous on the upper part : upper lip 2-lobed 

 or entire, broad and concave ; lower 3-lobed, bearded internally. Stamens 4, didynamous, 

 with a fifth shorter sterile filament : anthers woolly. Capsule 2-celled, septicidal ; the 

 placentae adnate to the dissepiment. Seeds numerous, whh a membranaceous margin. — 

 Perennial herbs, with opposite serrated leaves, and large flowers in thick terminal spikes. 



1. Chelone glabra, Linn. Shell-floicer. Snake-head. 



Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, nearly sessile, smooth. — Linn. sp. 2. p. 611 ; 

 Michj;. fl. 2. p. 24 ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 427 ; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 51 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 126 ; Bigel. 

 f,. Bost. p. 248 ; Bart.fl. N. Am. t. 76 (poor) ; Beck, hot. p. 266 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 369; 

 Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 94. 



Root creeping. Stem 2-3 feet high, obtusely quadrangular, erect, nearly simple. Leaves 

 2-4 inches long, of a firm texture, sharply serrate, somewhat rugous. Spikes terminal and 

 axillary in the upper part of the stem, very thick and compact, but few-flowered. Bracts and 

 bracteoles broad and concave, acuminate. Calyx 5-parted to the base ; the segments roundish, 

 concave and obtuse. Corolla more than an inch in length, white or pale purple ; the upper 

 lip obtuse, entire ; lobes of the lower lip of nearly equal length, but the middle one narrowest. 

 Stamens included : filaments flattened, pubescent : anthers connected by a copious wool : 

 rudimentary filament one-third the length of the others, smooth. Style filiform : stigma small, 

 obtuse. Capsule ovoid, with 2 opposite grooves. Seeds numerous, conspicuously margined. 



Margin of swamps ; common. August - September. Used by the Thomsonian doctors 

 as a tonic, etc., under the name of Balmony. C. ohliqua of authors seems to be scarcely a 

 distinct species from this. 



