Scutellaria

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Scutellaria >

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Scutellaria is a genus of about 300 species of plants commonly known as skullcaps.

The genus is widespread in temperate regions and on tropical mountains.

Most are annual or perennial herbaceous plants from 5 cm to 1 m tall, but a few are subshrubs; some are aquatic. They have four-angled stems and opposite leaves. The flowers have upper and lower lips. The genus is most easily recognized by the typical shield on the calyx that has also prompted its common name.

Its flowers may also be dried and smoked as a legal alternative to marijuana, as it induces feelings of euphoria and well-being.

Read about Scutellaria in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Scutellaria (Latin, dish; referring to the form of the persistent calyx). Labiatae. Skullcap. Annual or perennial herbs, or decumbent or diffuse rarely tall and erect subshrubs or very rarely shrubs, suitable for outdoor planting. Leaves opposite, frequently dentate, sometimes pinnatifid or entire; the floral lvs. similar or changed into bracts: fls. in opposite 2-fld. floral whorls or in some species a few at the top, sometimes disposed in all or the lower axils, sometimes in terminal racemes or spikes, blue, violet, scarlet, or yellow; calyx campanulate, 2-lipped; corolla-tube long-exserted, limb 2-lipped; stamens 4, ascending, all fertile, the anterior pair longer: nutlets subglobose or depressed.—About 140 species scattered over the world, mostly in the temperate regions and the mountains, a few in Trop. Afr., not known from S. Afr. S. aurantiaca, Hort., is offered in the trade.—S. pulchella, Hort., not Bunge, belongs to Section III and is closely related to S. indica var. japonica, but the plant has more slender twigs, somewhat smaller lvs. which are short stiff-hairy on the upper surface and a looser raceme with somewhat darker blue fls. Hab.(?). Gt. 6:296.— S. splendens, Link, Klotsch & Otto, belongs to Section II and has broad ovate, obtuse or scarcely acuminate, crenate lvs., with the base cordate and both surfaces hirsute: raceme elongated: fls. sparse; corolla scarlet. Mex. B.M. 4290 (as S. cordifolia). CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Species

Selected species:

Scutellaria albida Scutellaria alborosea Scutellaria alpina - Alpine Skullcap Scutellaria altissima Scutellaria angustifolia Scutellaria atriplicifolia Scutellaria aurata Scutellaria baicalensis - Chinese Skullcap Scutellaria barbata Scutellaria brittonii Scutellaria californica Scutellaria columnae Scutellaria costaricana Scutellaria elliptica Scutellaria formosana Scutellaria galericulata - Common Skullcap Scutellaria hastifolia - Spear-leaved Skullcap Scutellaria hirta Scutellaria incana

Scutellaria incarnata Scutellaria indica Scutellaria integrifolia Scutellaria lateriflora Scutellaria longifolia Scutellaria minor - Lesser Skullcap Scutellaria montana Scutellaria nana - Dwarf Skullcap Scutellaria orientalis Scutellaria ovata - heartleaved skullcap Scutellaria parvula Scutellaria purpurascens Scutellaria resinosa Scutellaria rubicunda Scutellaria scordiifolia Scutellaria splendens Scutellaria tuberosa Scutellaria ventenatii Scutellaria violacea

Gallery

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  Scutellaria alpina

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  Scutellaria baicalensis

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  Scutellaria ventenatii

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Scutellaria. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Scutellaria QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)