White Turtlehead

White Turtlehead
Chelone glabra

White Turtlehead has a flower that looks like a white turtle head. :-) Linnaeus was so taken by the shape that he gave it the genus name of Chelone, which is quite similar to a turtle genus, Chelonia. Given that he gave himself the job of naming every single plant and animal in the world with a Latin name, he was probably glad to have an easy one.

White Turtleheads are striking plants to see in a wetland, typically wooded wetlands. Another similar species, Rose Turtlehead, is found in the same kind of habitat, but it has rose colored flowers. Both of these species are described in more detail at Illinois Wildflowers, which is the most awesome botanical website on the internet.