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, XaAES g ...
family,
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...
. 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 t ...
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 wide ...
herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
s from tall, however a few are
subshrub
A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...
s. Some Scutellaria are aquatic. Scutellaria have four-angled stems and opposite
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
, 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 action ...
. 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
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term app ...
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
''Scutellaria lateriflora'', (commonly "blue skullcap", "mad dog skullcap",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, vi ...
. 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
flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
s. Isolated chemical compounds include
wogonin
Wogonin is an O-methylated flavone, a flavonoid-like chemical compound which is found in ''Scutellaria baicalensis''.
The glycosides of wogonin are known as wogonosides. For example, oroxindin is a wogonin glucuronide isolated from '' Oroxylum ...
,
wogonoside
Wogonin is an O-methylated flavone, a flavonoid-like chemical compound which is found in ''Scutellaria baicalensis''.
The glycosides of wogonin are known as wogonosides. For example, oroxindin is a wogonin glucuronide isolated from '' Oroxylum ...
, 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 ...
oroxylin A
Oroxylin A is an O-methylated flavone, a chemical compound that can be found in the medicinal plants ''Scutellaria baicalensis'' and ''Scutellaria lateriflora'', and the ''Oroxylum indicum'' tree. It has demonstrated activity as a dopamine reuptak ...
, and
scutellarein
Scutellarein is a flavone that can be found in ''Scutellaria lateriflora'' and other members of the genus ''Scutellaria'', as well as the fern ''Asplenium belangeri''.
Glycosides
The scutellarin (Scutellarein-7-glucuronide
A glucuronide, als ...
.
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
''Scutellaria alabamensis'', known as Alabama skullcap, is a rare and endangered wildflower, endemic only to 9 counties in North central Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, ...
'' – Alabama skullcap
*''
Scutellaria albida
''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 alborosea
''Scutellaria alborosea'' is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, Repúbl ...
''
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
'' Georgi – Baikal skullcap, Chinese skullcap
*''
Scutellaria barbata
''Scutellaria barbata'', the barbed skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to Asia.
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 ...
Scutellaria galericulata
''Scutellaria galericulata'', the common skullcap, marsh skullcap or hooded skullcap, is a hardy perennial herb native to northern areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and almost all of Canada. It is a member of the mint fam ...
Scutellaria minor
''Scutellaria minor'', the lesser skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.
Description
''Scutellaria minor'' grows to tall, with narrowly ovate leaves arranged oppositely. Flowers are borne in the leaf axil, axils of t ...
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 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 ...
GABAergic
In molecular biology and physiology, something is GABAergic or GABAnergic if it pertains to or affects the neurotransmitter GABA. For example, a synapse is GABAergic if it uses GABA as its neurotransmitter, and a GABAergic neuron produces GABA. A ...
plant
*''
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...
'' ( valerian), a sedative GABAergic plant
*'' Chaenomeles speciosa'', also contains a constituent that acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor