# Hairy Skullcap

*Scutellaria elliptica*

The genus name Scutellaria comes from the Latin 'scutella', meaning a small dish, describing the shape of the persistent calyx after the petals fall.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae › Scutellaria
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Dry upland forests, rocky slopes, and open woodlands.
- **Diet:** Autotroph (Photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- **Range:** Eastern United States, Midwest United States, Appalachian Mountains
- **Size:** 30 to 60 centimeters in height.
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (3-7 years)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation and competition from invasive forest floor species like garlic mustard.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This plant is safe to observe closely. Avoid picking the wildflowers to ensure seed dispersal; if you touch the plant, no special action is required as it is non-toxic to skin.

## About

Scutellaria elliptica , commonly called hairy skullcap , is a species of flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is a perennial forb found in the southeastern and mid-eastern states of the United States. It has blue flowers.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b41df1c7-960f-4477-a957-265dfe6e5f10
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/134213
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutellaria elliptica
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/140749284/medium.jpeg (Yann Kemper, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.