Scutellaria lateriflora
Blue skullcap
Scutellaria lateriflora, commonly known as skullcap, is a perennial herb native to North America. Traditionally valued in herbal medicine, it is primarily utilized for its calming and sedative properties. Often used to alleviate anxiety, insomnia, and tension, this botanical offers a gentle approach to supporting emotional and neurological balance.
- Scientific name: Scutellaria lateriflora
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Native range: Northern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Scutellaria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Lamiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Scutellaria | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Scutellaria lateriflora, is recognized by various regional names across different languages. In Persian, it is called فرنجمشک, while in Arabic, it is referred to as قنطريون أزرق, a name also used in Egyptian Arabic as قنطريون ازرق. In Poland, the botanical name is adapted as Tarczyca bocznokwiaowa, and in China, it is commonly known as 北美黃芩.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| fa | فرنجمشک | Wikidata |
| ar | قنطريون أزرق | Wikidata |
| pl | Tarczyca bocznokwiatowa | Wikidata |
| zh | 北美黃芩 | Wikidata |
| arz | قنطريون ازرق | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 北美黄芩 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 北美黄芩 | Wikidata |
| es | Escutelaria de Virginia | Wikidata |
| en | blue skullcap | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several provinces in Canada. In Western Canada, its presence is noted in both British Columbia and Manitoba. Moving toward the Atlantic coast, the species is also found within Eastern Canada. Specifically, it inhabits the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Finally, its range extends to the island of Newfoundland.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Canada | British Columbia | WCVP |
| Western Canada | Manitoba | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | New Brunswick | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Newfoundland | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Nova Scotia | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Ontario | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Prince Edward I. | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Québec | WCVP |
| Northwestern U.S.A. | Colorado | WCVP |
| Northwestern U.S.A. | Idaho | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known as Scutellaria lateriflora, offers various components that are utilized in medicinal applications. While the roots are an integral part of its biological structure, much of the traditional herbal preparation relies on the aerial parts of the organism. In commercial and pharmaceutical contexts, the herb is often processed into dried mad-dog skullcap to preserve its bioactive compounds. Furthermore, modern biotechnological advancements have enabled the development of hairy root cultures, which allow for the controlled production of specific secondary metabolites within a laboratory setting, often using the plant's leaves as a reference for studying its chemical profile.- Total parts
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 5
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hairy root cultures | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dried mad-dog skullcap | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aerial parts | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Scutellaria lateriflora has 18 reported phytochemicals identified across 32 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, baicalin, wogonin, baicalein, acteoside.
- Total chemicals
- 18
- Scientific sources
- 32
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| baicalin | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| wogonin | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| baicalein | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| acteoside | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| wogonoside | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| GABA | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Scutellarin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Scutellaria lateriflora has 6 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antihypertensive, Antioxidant, Diuretic, Neuroprotective.
- Total activities
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihypertensive | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sedative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Scutellaria lateriflora has 11 reported medicinal uses identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include anxiety, sedative, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer.
- Total uses
- 11
- Scientific sources
- 15
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| anxiety | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| sedative | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Parkinson's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| convulsions | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| depression | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diuretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| epilepsy | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| insomnia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |