Scutellaria lateriflora L.
blue skullcap
Lamiaceae (Mint family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Rosemary Taylor     (Photo ID #63036)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Scutellaria lateriflora
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a slender rhizome; stems single, 20-80 cm tall, 4-angled, glabrous or sparsely hairy with ascending to upcurled hairs, not glandular.
Leaves:
Usually only stem leaves, opposite, narrowly egg-shaped to egg-shaped, 3-8 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, thin, pinnately veined, tips pointed, bases broadly rounded or slightly lobed, mostly glabrous; a few hairs along the main veins beneath, margins toothed; stalks 0.5-2.5 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 2-12 cm long racemes, in leaf axils or at the ends of branches; bracts to 8 mm long; corollas tubular, blue, 6-8 mm long, 2-lipped, the upper lip entire, shorter than lower and hood-like, the lower lip 3-lobed, with inner surface glabrous or sparsely soft-hairy; calyces 1.5-2.5 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip with a scooped-out ridge across the back.
Fruits:
Nutlets, 4 clustered together, almost spherical, brown.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Scutellaria lateriflora

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
280 35 847
Slope Gradient (%)
0 0 2

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

71 45 135
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 5 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
23
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CDF(4), CWH(13), PP(1)

Habitat and Range

Moist to wet shorelines, forest openings, meadows and grasslands in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent throughout BC, more common in C and S BC; E to NF and S to GA, TX and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia