Scutellaria nana
Encyclopedia
Scutellaria nana is a species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name dwarf skullcap or dwarf scullcap. It is native to the western United States, especially in and around the Great Basin
. It grows in plateau scrub, often on volcanic soils. It is a small perennial herb producing one or more erect stems up to about 20 centimeters tall from a rhizome
. It is coated in tiny flat hairs which sometimes have resin glands. The leaves are oval or diamond-shaped, the lower ones borne on short petioles
. Flowers occur in the leaf axils, each borne in a calyx of sepal
s with a prominent ridge on the upper surface. The corolla is up to 2 centimeters long, tubular in shape, and generally white or yellowish with purple mottling on the lips.
Like several other skullcap
species, this plant is used medicinally
.
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
known by the common name dwarf skullcap or dwarf scullcap. It is native to the western United States, especially in and around the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
. It grows in plateau scrub, often on volcanic soils. It is a small perennial herb producing one or more erect stems up to about 20 centimeters tall from a rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
. It is coated in tiny flat hairs which sometimes have resin glands. The leaves are oval or diamond-shaped, the lower ones borne on short petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. Flowers occur in the leaf axils, each borne in a calyx of sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s with a prominent ridge on the upper surface. The corolla is up to 2 centimeters long, tubular in shape, and generally white or yellowish with purple mottling on the lips.
Like several other skullcap
Scutellaria
Scutellaria is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It contains about 300 species, which are commonly known as skullcaps...
species, this plant is used medicinally
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
.