Healing Gardens

Body:

Skullcap

Family Name: Mint

Family Name: Lamiaceae/Labiatae

Latin Name: Scutellaria lateriflora

Common Names: Blue Skullcap, Mad Dog Skullcap, Madweed, Virginia Scullcap, Blue Pimpernel

Native American Names: None found.

Related Species: Scutellaria galericulata (Marsh Skullcap)

Body System Affiliations:

1.Nervous System

Botanical Description:

Habit: Perennial Herb

Size: 1-3 feet tall

Arrangement: Opposite, on four-sided square stems.

Leaves: Lance-shaped to oblong-egg-shaped, hairless above, short-hairy below, 2-5 cm long; margins blunt-toothed.

Flowers: Several to many flowers in elongate clusters from the leaf axils and at the top of the stem. (S. galericulataà)Blue or pink-purple, medium-sized (1.5-2 cm long); sepals fused into 2 small lips, the upper lip with a raised appendage; petals fused into a 2-lipped tube, the upper lip hooded; stamens 4; 4-lobed ovary; flowers stalkless and solitary in the axils of slightly reduced upper lips. Flowers are hermaphrodite.

Fruit: 4 yellowish, warty nutlets.

Underground Parts: Rhizomatous

Personal Observation and Description: I have not had the chance to observe this plant personally, unfortunately.

Ecology:

Habitat: S. lateriflora is usually found in bottomlands, sometimes growing in rich woods and thickets. S. galericulata grows in cold, clear stream and river basins, usually with Nettle, Brook Mint, and Willow.

Range: Found from the north Central Valley of California, north to central British Columbia; sporadic in the Great Basin.

Native Where: Eastern United States

Ecological Relationships: S. galericulata usually grows with Nettle, Brookmint, and Willow.

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

Food: None found.

Materials/Technology: None found.

Medicine:

Part Used: Whole flowering plant

Medicinal Actions: Calming nervine, antispasmodic, and sedative (1:122).

Indications: Nerve sedative for any condition characterized by oversensitivity of the peripheral nerves; sciatica to shingles to facial pain to acupuncture or bodywork sensitivity (2:305). Encourages endorphin production and sedates the brain and spinal column (1:122).

Body System Associations: Nervous System

Constituents: Baicalein and its glycocide baicalin are the principle flavanoids. Other flavanoids include scutellarein, scutellarin, luteolin, the iridoid catalpol, a volatile oil containing mono- and diterpenes including limonene and caryophyllene, and tannin (3:online).

Application: Infusion

Preparation: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 tsp dried Skullcap, steep 10-15 minutes, add honey if desired, drink.

Pharmacy: Drink one cup of an infusion three times daily.

Application: Tincture

Preparation: Fresh (1:2), in 50% alcohol.

Pharmacy: Take 18 to 27 drops up to three times daily (6:online).

Other: The plant was once believed to be used in the treatment of rabies, though there is no evidence to support this (4:online).

Cautions: In excess this plant causes giddiness, stupor, confusion, and twitching.

Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:

Food: None found.

Materials/Technology: None found.

Medicine:

Indigenous Group: Cherokee

Part Used: Root

Medicinal Actions: Abortifacient, antidiarrheal, emetic, gynecological aid, kidney aid.

Indications: Infusion of roots used for monthly period and diarrhea. Decoction of roots taken as an emetic to expel the afterbirth. Root “compound” used as a kidney medicine.

Applications: Infusion, decoction, “compound”.

Part Used: Whole plant.

Indications: Decoction taken for nerves and “compound” used for breast pains.

Applications: Decoction, “compound”.

Indigenous Group: Iroquois

Part Used: Roots

Medicinal Actions: Misc. disease remedy, throat aid.

Indications: Infusion of powdered roots taken to prevent smallpox, to keep throat clean.

Preparation: Infusion.

Medicine: S. galericulata

Indigenous Group: Delaware, Oklahoma.

Part Used: Plant tops.

Medicinal Actions: Laxative, gastrointestinal aid, stomach stimulant.

Indigenous Group: Ojibwa

Part Used: Not found.

Indications: Heart trouble.

(5:online)

Propagation:

Technique: Seeds, cuttings, divisions. Seeds germinate easily in 2 to 4 weeks and are ready to transplant in 10 to 12 weeks. Cuttings are somewhat difficult due to the plants being so soft and succulent. Divisions are easy and can be done in spring or late fall.

Harvest:

Personal Experience:

Medicine:

Part Used: Whole herb

Desired Medicinal Actions: I was hoping this herb would provide a gentle calming effect to my body and mind.

Targeted Indications: I didn’t need to treat any specific problem, but rather wanted to use the herb to help calm myself.

Procurement:

Source: Radiance Herbs, downtown Olympia

Condition: Dried

Cost: approximately $5 for almost a pound.

Other Procurement Information: None found.

Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:

Applications: Infusion

Preparation: 1 tsp of dried skullcap to 1 cup boiling water, cover and let steep 10-15 minutes, add a bit of honey to taste.

Pharmacy: I took from 1 to 3 cups of this tea a day.

Reason/Purpose: I was hoping to calm myself by using this herb.

Experience: If this herb had any affect on me, it was very subtle. I did feel a bit calmer when drinking the tea, but this may have come from the relaxing ritual of preparing the herb to be drunk.

Cautions based on experience: Make sure not to choke on floating pieces of stem in your tea.

Other Notes of Interest: The plant was once believed to be used in the treatment of rabies, though there is no evidence to support this (4:online).

References Cited:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Mars, Brigitte. Natural First Aid. Pownal, Vermont: Storey Books, 1999.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Red Crane Books, 1993.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Author Unknown. Online at http://www.botanicalpathways.com/issue13/skullcap.htm. Visited 2/9/07.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Author Unknown. Plants For a Future Website. Online at http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Scutellaria+lateriflora. Visited 2/9/07.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany Database. Online at http://herb.umd.umich.edu/. Visited 2/9/07.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Author Unknown. Indian Spring Herbal Encyclopedia Website. Online at http://indianspringherbs.com/scullcap.htm. Visited 2/26/07.

Allie Denzler - Healing Gardens - Winter - 2007