Mad-dog Skullcap

(Scutellaria lateriflora)

 

Color photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Mad-dog Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Identification: Flowers tubular, narrow, violet to pink with the apical petals lobes lighter than the fused part of the corolla. Upper petal a concave caplike structure with two smaller, lateral petal lobes. Bottom petal lobes fused into a downward hanging, bilobed lip. Flowers arranged in one-sided racemes. Stem square. Leaves opposite, ovate to ovate-elongate with heavily toothed outer margins. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout North America.

Habitat: Mad-dog Skullcap is found in meadows, wet woods, and dense thickets.

Flowering period: June to September.

Mad-dog Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Similar Species:

The combination of the distinctive skullcap flowers and their arrangement in one-sided racemes will usually identify this species.

Similar Species

No Similar Species