Chelone obliqua var. speciosa
Bartonia 10: 19, plate 2, fig. 1. 1929.
Common names: Rose or purple turtlehead
Endemic
Synonyms: Chelone obliqua subsp. speciosa (Pennell & Wherry) Pennell
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 60.
Leaves: mid-cauline blade (69–)88–170 mm. Flowers: calyx lobe margins densely ciliate; corolla: abaxial lobes 10–16 mm; staminode 4–8(–12) mm. 2n = 84.
Phenology: Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat: Along streams, marshes, swamps, seeps, springs, wet meadows and woods, pond and lake margins.
Elevation: 90–200 m.
Distribution
Ark., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Mich., Minn., Mo.
Discussion
Variety speciosa occurs in the Interior Low and Ozark plateaus as well as Central Lowland provinces, where it is vulnerable to extinction. NatureServe (www.natureserve.org/explorer) estimates 21 to 80 populations of var. speciosa throughout its range and cites activities affecting wetland hydrology as threats to these populations.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.