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MINT FAMILY _ LABIATAE 
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LITTLE SKULLCAP 
Scutellaria parvula Michx. 
The Little Skullcap is found in sandy or gravelly soil from 
Quebec to Ontario and South Dakota, south to Florida and 
Texas. It may be found in similar locations throughout Illinois. 
The plant is perennial by slender under- 
ground stems which are thickened at in- 
tervals into tubers. Aerial stems are very 
slender, 3-12 inches high and usually 
branched. This species varies considerably 
in amount of hairiness and in leaf form. 
Sometimes the plant is entirely smooth 
and at others quite hairy; sometimes the 
lower leaves may be toothed and petioled 
instead of all being entire and sessile as 
shown. 
The flowers, blooming from April to 
July, are solitary in the axils of the leaves. 
The corolla is violet-blue and covered 
nutlets are very rough and very small. 
Another species not uncommon in wet 
places is the Mad-dog Skullcap, Scutellaria 
lateriflora L., which was formerly thought to 
be useful in treating bites from mad dogs. 
This is a small-flowered species which is usu- 
ally entirely smooth. The square slender 
stem is very leafy and 4-32 inches high. The 
thin leaves vary from ovate to oblong or 
lanceolate and are petioled. The flowers are 
borne in leafy-bracted racemes both axillary 
and terminal. The corollas are bluish, vary- 
ing nearly to white. This species is distributed 
from Quebec to Minnesota, south to New 
Jersey, Florida and Texas. 
One of the handsomest American species is the Showy Skullcap, 
outside with very short hairs. The 4 
Scutellaria serrata Andr., which occurs in woods from southern New | 
York and Pennsylvania to North Carolina and west to Illinois and 
Kentucky. It is confined to the Ozark area here. The slender, simple 
or branched stem is 1-2 feet erect and nearly smooth. Large ovate- 
elliptic, pointed leaf blades, strongly sharp toothed, are attached by 
rounded or almost heart-shaped bases to slender petioles. The nearly 
always simple and terminal racemes are loosely flowered, the flowers 
paired. The blue, minutely downy corollas are 1 inch long and have 
the rather narrow upper lip shorter than the lower. 
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