Lamiaceae
Mint Family
Smaller skullcap
Scutellaria parvula Michx.
- Stem: perennial; 4” to 6” tall; often branched; conspicuous stem angles with few hairs.
- Leaves: opposite; oval with squarish bases and tapering to rounded tips; sessile; 1/2” by 1/4” and smaller; tiny hairs above and below.
- Inflorescence: flowers in the axils of the upper leaves, two per node.
- Flowers: corolla dark blue, 7/16” long, two-lipped, hairy; calyx tubular, 5/16” long, hairy on the veins, with a conspicuous enlargement on the upper surface, 3/16” long; flowering from late May to mid-June.
- Fruits: nutlets exposed when the upper part of the calyx drops off; fruiting begins in early June.
- Habitat: frequent on dry prairies, in open woods, and in ridge openings; sometimes vigorous in disturbed areas; difficult to locate later in the season.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
