Common Names:Also known as mad-dog skullcap, mad-dog weed, blue skullcap, Virginia skullcap, helmet flower, blue pimpernel, madweed, Quakers bonnet. Monograph:Scutellaria laterifloria belongs to the genus Scutellaria, a genus known for its anti-inflammatory and other medicinal properties. Breaking down the scientific name, in Latin ‘scutella’ means a small dish and ‘Scutellum’ means little shield, both referring to the shape of the calyx present on the flowers, which has a prominent dorsal crest, or scutellum. It is said that the American skullcap was named by Native Americans because of its hooded, two-lobed flowers bare resemblance to military helmets worn by early European soldiers. ii
Scutellaria laterifloria belongs to the Lamiaceae or mint family, a family is known for its medicinal and aromatic properties. Scutellaria laterifloria has leaves of a light green to pale reddish-green color and the characteristic square stem shared by many members of the Lamiaceae family. The opposite leaves are thin and ovate to lanceovate with heavily serrated margins and are 2.5-10 cm long with a dark green upper surface and light green underside. The distinguishable flowers are typically blue but can range from white to violet. They are irregular, tubular, and have the prominent two-lipped dorsal crest which gives rise to their namesake, skullcap.
Distribution
There are approximately 360 species of Scutellaria making it one of the largest genus groups in the Lamiaceae family. The genus is distributed globally mainly in temperate regions and tropical mountains, but can naturally occur in most regions of the world, excluding the Amazon basin, Pacific Islands and lowland tropical Africa. Over 101 species of Scutellaria grow in China, making it a center of diversity for this plant group. Chinese skullcap, Scutellaria baicalensis, is a treasured herbal ally and is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Scutellaria laterifloria is a perennial herb that is indigenous to eastern North America, it grows in wild damp woodlands, thickets, and swamplands, and along river beds. It is commonly cultivated in Europe for medicinal harvest. It grows to around 1-3 ft high and blossoms at the end of July through September. The leaves and stems are harvested when flowering for medicinal use. The herb can be used fresh, dried, whole, crushed, chopped or pressed to prepare the medicine.
Scutellaria laterifloria can be cultivated by direct seeding, transplanting, or dividing roots. It naturally grows in USDA hardiness zones 2b to 7b, making it the most widely occurring species of Scutellaria in North America. Cultivation has been developed and in 2001 it was estimated that 85% of global harvest was from cultivated sources. It is widely imported the outside of the US, notably to Europe for medicinal use, it was estimated that 70% of US cultivated skullcap was exported from small farmers to outside of North America.
Medicinal Properties:
The Scutellaria genus has been noted for its anti-inflammatory properties, which is thought to be due to the prominent levels of flavonoids present, which contain significant antioxidant levels. The genus also exhibited preventative effects for neurodegenerative diseases.
Skullcap is thought to revive and renew the central nervous system.xvii as well as treat nervous tension and anxiety. It has a long history of treatment of serious, hysterical states and epilepsy due to these nervous system properties. Scutellaria lateriflora is said to be one of the most widely used nervines and is considered safe and effective in treating both acute and chronic stress conditions, it had also been indicated to have been used in treating and easing pain. xviii