Scutellaria integrifolia L. - Helmet Skullcap
Family - Lamiaceae
Stems:
Leaves:
Inflorescence:
N/A
Flowers:
Calyx close-up.
Flowering - May - August.
Habitat - Sandhills, flatwoods, moist hammocks, low woods, roadsides.
Origin - Native to North America.
Other information - This attractive species can be found throughout Alabama. The plant is easy to identify becasue of its pubescent stems, big, blue flowers, and cuneate, entire leaves. The leaves are typically rounded at the apices.
The genus name Scutellaria derives from the Latin "scutell(a)" meaning "a dish" in reference to the expanded fruiting calyx.
The species epithet integrifolia derives from the Latin "integ(r)" meaning "whole, complete" and "foli(a)" meaning "a leaf" referring to the mostly entire leaves of the plant.
Alabama Distribution:
Photographs taken off County Road 43, Macon County, AL., 5-14-05.