828 SCUTELLARIA. Cclass xiv. order I. 



GENUS XVII. SCUTELLA'RIA Linn. Skull-cap, 



Nat. Ord. Labia'teje. Juss. 

 Gen. Char. Calyx two lipped, the lips entire, closed after flowerings 

 having a concave scale on the upper side. Corolla with a long 

 tube, the upper lip concave, three-cleft, the lower one tritid. — 

 Name from Scute/la, a dish or platter ; so called from the curious 

 shaped calyx, with its appendage, which somewhat resembles a 

 dish or cup. 



1. iS, galericula'ta, Linn. (Fig. 956.) Common Skull-cap. Leaves 

 oblong lanceolate, cordate at the base, crenato-dentate ; flowers axil- 

 lary ; tube of the corolla curved almost at right angles near the base. 



English Botany, t. 525. — English Flora, vol. iii. p. 113. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 235. — Liudley, Synopsis, p. 205. 



Root of numerous whorled fibres. Stem erect, branched or simple, 

 square, with sharp angles, mostly of a purple colour, and smooth, or 

 somewhat hairy. Leaves numerous, opposite, on short footstalks, 

 oblong lanceolate, heart-shaped at the base, more or less distinctly and 

 remotely crenated, or obtusely toothed, a cheerful green, paler beneath, 

 often purple, and smooth, or scattered over with short pubescence. 

 Injiorescence axillary flowers, solitary, or in pairs, nearly sessile. 

 Calyx smooth, or clothed with short simple hairs, enlarged when in 

 seed. Corolla downy, pale blue, the tube curved upwards from the 

 mouth of the calyx at almost right angles, dilated towards the mouth, 

 the upper lip three lobed, concave, obtuse, the lateral lobes entire, the 

 middle one notched, lower lip shorter, recurved in three lobes, often 

 crenated on the margin, striated with dark blue, and variegated with 

 white. Stamens short, curved beneath the upper lip. Seeds small, 

 ovate, rough, pale brown. 



Habitat. — Stony banks of rivers, ditches, &c. ; common. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



2. S. mi'nor, Linn. (Fig. 957.) Lesser Skull-cap. Leaves oblong 

 lanceolate, obtuse, cordate or rounded at the base, nearly sessile, 

 entire, or one or two toothed ; flowers axillary ; lube of the corolla 

 straight. 



English Botany, t. 524. — English Flora, vol. iii. p. 114. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p 235. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 205. 



Root with short creeping suckers. Stem erect, much branched, from 

 three to six inches high, slender, square, with sharp angles, often 

 purple, smooth, or slightly hairy. Leaves numerous, nearly sessile, 

 smooth, or slightly hairy, ovale lanceolate, wiih an obtuse point, heart- 

 shaped at the base, and entire, or with one or two obtuse teeth on each 

 side at the base, the upper leaves narrower, and rounded at the base 

 and entire. Injiorescence axillary flowers, solitary, or in pairs, on short 

 slalks. Calyx clothed with short simple hairs, enlarged when in seed. 



