Chelone glabra, or white turtlehead, is a herbaceous species of plant native to North America. Its native range extends from Georgia to Newfoundland and Labrador and from Mississippi to Manitoba. Its common name comes from the appearance of its flower petals, which resemble the head of a tortoise. In fact, in Greek, chelone means "tortoise" and was the name of a nymph who refused to attend the wedding of Zeus and was turned into a turtle as punishment. Its natural habitat is wet areas, such as riparian forests and swamps. Its classification at the family level has in the past been controversial, but as a result of DNA sequence studies, it is now regarded as belonging to family Plantaginaceae (the plantain family). In early taxonomic treatments the species was divided into a number of subspecific categories but more recent studies indicate no morphological or genetic basis for these taxonomic categories. [11]
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Chelone glabra has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
DNA specimens12
Marker genes8
GenBank sequences10
eDNA detections6
Countries2
The DNA barcodea real sequence read deposited for this species
Chelone glabra voucher UD 033 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence; internal transcribed spacer 2, complete sequence; and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence
Marker genes sequenced
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
The complete instruction manualChelone glabra carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
CCDB · ipcn-api-dl — Love, A. & D. Love. 1982. In: A Löve (ed.), IOPB chromosome number reports LXXV. Taxon 31(2): 344–360.
CCDB · ipcn-api-dl — GERVAIS, C. & J. Cayouette. 1985. Liste annotée de nombres chromosomiques de la flore vasculaire du nord-est de l'Amerique IV. Naturaliste Canad. 112: 319–331.
CCDB · ipcn-api-dl — Nelson, A. D., W. J. Elisens & D. Benesh. 1998. Notes on chromosome numbers in Chelone (Scrophulariaceae). Castanea 63(2): 183–187.
CCDB · book-ipcn66 — Cooper. & Cross. in Straw 1966
CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 — COOPERRIDER, T.S., & G.A. MCCREADY. 1970. Chromosome numbers in Chelone (Scrophulariaceae). Brittonia 22: 175-183.
CCDB · book-fedorov — Crosswhite 1965b
n 147×CCDB · book-ipcn67-71
CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 — COOPERRIDER, T.S., & G.A. MCCREADY. 1970. Chromosome numbers in Chelone (Scrophulariaceae). Brittonia 22: 175-183.
Ploidy records — measured levels and diploid/polyploid inferences · click for sources
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Coordinate accuracy86% within 1 km
≤100 m 9 880≤1 km 2 036≤10 km 860>10 km 1 147
13 923 georeferenced · 3 200 without coordinates
Open the mapobservation + sensor17 123
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Coordinate accuracy38% within 1 km
≤100 m 112≤1 km 537≤10 km 925>10 km 132
1 706 georeferenced · 774 without coordinates
Open the institutions mapphysical evidence2 480
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Coordinate accuracy
no georeferenced coordinates · 17 records without
Open the mapnot free-living17
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
10Collections & institutions
Holding institutions66 of 111 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
Institution
Specimens
Philadelphia, US
419
Madison, US
237
St. Paul, US
142
Chongqing Museumlocation not on record
131
Québec, CA
122
Chapel Hill, US
117
Bloomington, US
90
Ann Arbor, US
77
Acadia Universitylocation not on record
74
Burlington, US
62
University of New Hampshirelocation not on record
60
Montréal, CA
53
Allentown, US
45
Saint John, CA
44
Université Lavallocation not on record
44
Museo civico La Terra e l'Uomo di Crocetta del Montellolocation not on record
39
New Haven, US
39
College Park, US
36
Toronto, CA
35
Williamsburg, US
34
Green Bay, US
30
Bangkok, TH
30
University of Stellenboschlocation not on record
28
WTUlocation not on record
23
Jackson, US
19
Longwood Universitylocation not on record
19
Saint Louis, US
16
Davenport, US
15
Durham, US
15
Keene State Universitylocation not on record
15
Bronx, US
13
Millersville, US
13
Tuscaloosa, US
12
Columbia, US
11
Dekalb, US
9
Norfolk, US
8
GAlocation not on record
8
Knoxville, US
8
McWane Science Centerlocation not on record
8
Clemson, US
7
Wuzhou, CN
7
Whitewater, US
6
Philadelphia, US
6
University of Lynchburglocation not on record
6
Moscow State Universitylocation not on record
6
Mount Pleasant, US
6
Chicago, US
6
New Brunswick, US
5
DOI/NPS, Mississippi National River & Recreation Arealocation not on record
4
Lord Fairfax Community Collegelocation not on record
4
Fairfax, US
4
Morgantown, US
4
Asheville, US
4
Paris, FR
4
Florida Museum of Natural History- Zoology, Paleontology & Paleobotanylocation not on record
4
Dover, US
4
Fredericksburg, US
3
SLU Artdatabankenlocation not on record
3
Denver, US
3
Hamilton, US
3
WINlocation not on record
3
Chicago, US
3
Mexico City, MX
2
Museum of the Rockieslocation not on record
2
Decorah, US
2
Mohonk Preservelocation not on record
2
DULlocation not on record
2
Weber State Universitylocation not on record
2
US
2
BAYLUlocation not on record
2
Durham, US
2
Appalachian State Universitylocation not on record
2
Trois-Rivières, CA
2
ASUlocation not on record
2
Flagstaff, US
2
Staten Island, US
2
James F. Matthews Center for Biodiversity Studieslocation not on record
1
Tennessee Technological Universitylocation not on record
1
Mlocation not on record
1
Pullman, US
1
Long Beach, US
1
Students On Ice Foundationlocation not on record
1
National Institute of Biological Resourceslocation not on record
1
LINUlocation not on record
1
Bruce Peninsula National Parklocation not on record
1
University of North Carolina at Pembrokelocation not on record
1
Kingston, US
1
Bergen, NO
1
Beijing, CN
1
Northridge, US
1
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Gardenlocation not on record
1
Chicago, US
1
Ypsilanti, US
1
GB
1
Missouri Department of Conservationlocation not on record
1
Maryland Department of Natural Resourceslocation not on record
1
Meguro Parasitological Museumlocation not on record
1
Washington, US
1
Memorial University of Newfoundlandlocation not on record
1
nbflocation not on record
1
Royal Botanical Gardenslocation not on record
1
Oswego, US
1
Istituto Agrario Castelnuovolocation not on record
1
Richmond, US
1
EL PASO, US
1
China Agricultural Universitylocation not on record
1
University of Wisconsinlocation not on record
1
University of Guelph, OAC Herbariumlocation not on record
1
McGill University, Herbariumlocation not on record
1
Claremont, US
1
US
1
111 institutions · 2 368 of 2 480 vouchered records shown · 112 without an institution code
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
09Environmental DNA6 detections
Where the DNA of Chelone glabra was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Detections DNA found6
Studies independent surveys1
Countries1
Signal confidence: weakweighed across independent studies, places & mapped detections
Where its DNA was found
0 of 6 detections have coordinates
Open the map1 country0
How strong is each trace?
DNA read depthRead counts were not reported for this species — the map shows presence only, not how strong each trace was.
Modelled climatemodelled
−15°Ctemperature across detection sites+40°C
Temperature median19.6 °C 17.3–19.6
Seasonal swing summer↔winter27.5 °C
Max temp (day)24.4 °C 19.9–24.8
Min temp (night)15.7 °C
Precipitation100 mm/mo 84.9–104
Air humidity59.7 % 59.4–60.7
Moisture balance-28.2 mm/mo -44.5–10.7
Vapour deficit924 Pa 782–928
Wind speed3.10 m/s 2.80–3.20
Cloud cover48.8 % 42.4–49.0
CHELSA 1981–2010, ~9 km grid, at location & month of 3 detection points · median with p10–p90 · reflects where sampling happened, not only the true niche
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation3 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility19 620 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI6 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics12 specimens↗
NCBIUS National Library of Medicinesequences↗
GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗
PloiDBPloidy Databasegenome & karyotype
Paleobiology DatabasePBDB consortiumfossil record↗
WikidataWikimedia Foundationstructured facts↗
GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗