''Scutellaria'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

family, Lamiaceae. They are known commonly as skullcaps. The generic name is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''scutella'', meaning "a small dish, tray or platter",''Scutellaria parvula'' var. ''missouriensis''.
Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. or "little dish", referring to the shape of the calyx. The common name alludes to the resemblance of the same structure to "miniature

medieval helmets In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

". The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution,Ulloa, C. U. and P. M. Jørgensen
''Scutellaria''.
''Árboles y arbustos de los Andes del Ecuador''. eFloras. with species occurring nearly worldwide, mainly in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

regions.''Scutellaria''.
The Jepson eFlora 2013.

Description

Most Scutellaria are

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent wood, woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennial plant, perennials, and nearly all Annual plant, annuals and Biennial plant, biennials. Definition ...

s from tall, however a few are subshrubs. Some Scutellaria are aquatic. Scutellaria have four-angled stems and opposite leaves, and flowers with upper and lower lips. The genus is most easily recognized by the typical shield on the calyx that has also prompted its common name.

Traditional use

Skullcaps are used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

, such as in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...

. The root of ''

Scutellaria baicalensis ''Scutellaria baicalensis'', with the common name Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. Distribution The plant is native to China, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia in the Russian Far East and Si ...

'' a common component of many preparations is marketed in volumes that have led to the overexploitation of the wild plant. Its rarity has led to an increase in price, and encouraged the adulteration of the product with other species of ''Scutellaria''. In 1773, '' Scutellaria lateriflora'' became a common treatment in North America for the hysteria and hydrophobia caused by

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

. Today it is still a popular medicinal herb. It is widely available as a commercial product used in western herbalism. The plant reportedly commands prices of $16 to $64 per pound dry weight.

Constituents

The main compounds in skullcap are flavonoids. Isolated chemical compounds include wogonin, wogonoside, and 3,5,7,2',6'-pentahydroxyl flavanone found in ''Scutellaria''. Other constituents include

baicalin As baicalin is a flavone glycoside, it is a flavonoid. It is the glucuronide of baicalein. Natural occurrences Baicalin is found in several species in the genus ''Scutellaria'', including ''Scutellaria baicalensis'', and '' Scutellaria lateri ...

apigenin Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. Sou ...

, oroxylin A, and scutellarein.

Selected species

Estimates of the number of species in the genus range from around 300 to about 350''Scutellaria''.
Flora of China. or 360 to 470. Selected species include: *'' Scutellaria alabamensis'' – Alabama skullcap *'' Scutellaria albida'' *'' Scutellaria alborosea''

Lem. Charles Antoine Lemaire (1 November 1800, in Paris – 22 June 1871, in Paris), was a French botanist and botanical author, noted for his publications on Cactaceae. Education Born the son of Antoine Charles Lemaire and Marie Jeanne Davio, he ha ...

*'' Scutellaria alpina'' L. – alpine skullcap *'' Scutellaria altamaha'' – pineland skullcap *'' Scutellaria altissima'' L. – Somerset skullcap, tall skullcap *'' Scutellaria amoena'' *'' Scutellaria anatolica'' *'' Scutellaria angustifolia'' – narrowleaf skullcap *'' Scutellaria antirrhinoides''

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

– nose skullcap *'' Scutellaria arenicola'' – Florida scrub skullcap *'' Scutellaria arguta'' – Blue Ridge skullcap *'' Scutellaria atriplicifolia'' *'' Scutellaria aurata'' *''

'' Georgi – Baikal skullcap, Chinese skullcap *'' Scutellaria barbata'' D.Don – barbed skullcap *'' Scutellaria bolanderi''

A.Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His '' Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually exc ...

– Sierra skullcap *'' Scutellaria brachyspica'' *'' Scutellaria brittonii'' – Britton's skullcap *'' Scutellaria bushii'' – Bush's skullcap *'' Scutellaria caerulea'' – blue skullcap *'' Scutellaria californica'' A.Gray – California skullcap *'' Scutellaria cardiophylla'' – gulf skullcap *'' Scutellaria columnae'' *'' Scutellaria costaricana'' H.Wendl. – scarlet skullcap, Costa Rican skullcap *'' Scutellaria drummondii'' – Drummond's skullcap *'' Scutellaria elliptica'' Muhl. – hairy skullcap *'' Scutellaria floridana'' Chapm. – Florida skullcap *'' Scutellaria formosana'' *'' Scutellaria galericulata'' L. – common skullcap, marsh skullcap *'' Scutellaria glabriuscula'' – Georgia skullcap *'' Scutellaria hastifolia'' – spear-leaved skullcap *'' Scutellaria havanensis'' – Havana skullcap *'' Scutellaria hirta'' *'' Scutellaria hookeri'' *'' Scutellaria humilis'' *'' Scutellaria incana'' Biehler – downy skullcap, hoary skullcap *'' Scutellaria incarnata'' Vent. *'' Scutellaria indica'' L. *'' Scutellaria integrifolia'' L. – helmet flower *'' Scutellaria laevis'' – Culberson County skullcap *'' Scutellaria lateriflora'' L. – blue skullcap, Virginian skullcap *'' Scutellaria longifolia'' Benth. *'' Scutellaria longituba'' *'' Scutellaria meehanioides'' *'' Scutellaria mexicana'' *'' Scutellaria microphylla'' – littleleaf skullcap *'' Scutellaria minor'' Huds. – lesser skullcap *'' Scutellaria montana'' Chapm. – mountain skullcap, large-flowered skullcap *'' Scutellaria multiglandulosa'' – Small's skullcap *'' Scutellaria muriculata'' – Rio Grande skullcap *'' Scutellaria nana'' A.Gray – dwarf skullcap *'' Scutellaria nervosa'' – veiny skullcap *'' Scutellaria novae-zelandaie'' *'' Scutellaria ocmulgee'' – Ocmulgee skullcap *''

Scutellaria orientalis ''Scutellaria orientalis'', also known as yellow-flowered skull cap or yellow helmet flower, is a species of alpine rhizomatous perennial belonging to the genus '' Scutellaria'', and classified under the family Lamiaceae. Description The decidu ...

'' *'' Scutellaria ovata'' Hill – heart-leaved skullcap *''

Scutellaria parvula ''Scutellaria parvula'', commonly known as the small skullcap, is a member of the mint family. It is native to eastern and central North America, being most common in the central states and become rare in the east. It is found in areas that provi ...

'' Michx. – small skullcap *''

Scutellaria pekinensis ''Scutellaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. They are known commonly as skullcaps. The generic name is derived from the Latin ''scutella'', meaning "a small dish, tray or platter",Scutellaria potosina'' – Mexican skullcap *'' Scutellaria pseudoserrata'' – falseteeth skullcap *'' Scutellaria purpurascens'' *'' Scutellaria racemosa'' – South American skullcap *'' Scutellaria rehderiana'' *'' Scutellaria resinosa'' Torr. – sticky skullcap *'' Scutellaria rubicunda'' *'' Scutellaria sapphirina'' – White Pine skullcap *'' Scutellaria sarmentosa'' *'' Scutellaria saxatilis'' – smooth rock skullcap *'' Scutellaria serboana'' *'' Scutellaria serrata'' – showy skullcap *'' Scutellaria siphocampyloides'' – grayleaf skullcap *'' Scutellaria splendens'' *'' Scutellaria strigillosa'' *'' Scutellaria suffrutescens'' *'' Scutellaria texana'' – Texas skullcap *'' Scutellaria thieretii'' – Thieret's skullcap *'' Scutellaria tuberosa'' Benth. – Danny's skullcap *'' Scutellaria utriculata'' *'' Scutellaria ventenatii'' *'' Scutellaria violacea'' *'' Scutellaria viscidula'' *'' Scutellaria wrightii'' – Wright's skullcap

References

External links

* * *
''Scutellaria'' images.
MorphBank. {{Taxonbar, from=Q156764 Lamiaceae genera Medicinal plants Anxiolytics Dopamine reuptake inhibitors GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus