Scutellaria baicalensis

Scutellaria baicalensis, with the common name Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.

Description

A herb which keeps growing from year to year. It grows 38 cm high. It spreads 20 cm wide. It lies along the ground near its base. The leaves are sword shaped and 3-4 cm long. They are slightly hairy. The flowers are purple-blue and 2.5 cm long. They grow along one side of the stalk.

Edible Uses

Young leaves can be cooked as a vegetable. The whole plant can also be dried and used as a tea substitute.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are eaten as a boiled vegetable. The plant is dried and used for tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Baikal skullcap is a prominent herb in Chinese medicine, considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs, primarily used for 'hot and damp' conditions such as dysentery and diarrhoea. It has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years. Recent research has found that the roots contain flavonoids that enhance liver function and have anti-inflammatory and antiallergenic effects. The root is anodyne, antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, astringent, cholagogue, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, haemostatic, laxative, nervine, mildly sedative, stomachic, and tonic for tuberculosis. It is reputedly calming to the foetus in pregnant women. Internally, the root is used for enteritis, dysentery, diarrhoea, jaundice, chronic hepatitis, urinary tract infections, hypertension, threatened miscarriage, nosebleed, and haemorrhage from the lungs or bowel. It is one of the ingredients of the Chinese drug 'injection of three yellow herbs'. The root is harvested in autumn or spring from plants 3–4 years old and dried for later use. The seed is used to cleanse the bowels of blood and pus. The plant is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Known Hazards

There have been several reports and small case series of acute liver injury with jaundice arising 1 to 3 months after starting herbal or dietary supplements containing S. baicalensis.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in the eastern forest in Manchuria. In northern China it grows between 100-2,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, China*, Japan*, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia, Tasmania,

Cultivation

Succeeds in a sunny position in any ordinary garden soil that does not dry out during the growing season. Prefers a light well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. This species requires sharp drainage and, once established, is drought tolerant. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. A very ornamental plant.

Propagation

Sow seed outdoors in situ in late spring. With only a small quantity of seed, sow in a pot in a cold frame in early spring, prick out into individual pots when large enough to handle, and plant out in summer. Divide in spring just before new growth begins. Larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions. Smaller divisions are best potted up and grown on in a lightly shaded cold frame until well established before planting out in summer.

Other Uses

None known

Notes

There are about 300-350 Scutellaria species. It has anticancer properties. It also reduces dengue virus multiplication.

Synonyms

References (12)

• BARANOV,
• Bemerk. Reise Russ. Reich 1:223. 1775
• Bremness, L., 1994, Herbs. Collins Eyewitness Handbooks. Harper Collins. p 217
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 948
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1327

More from Lamiaceae

Thymus hirtus

Thymus leucostomus

Thymus longicaulis subsp chaubardii var. antalyanus

Thymus mastichina

Mastic thyme, Spanish marjoram

Thymus migricus

Thymus nummularius

Pizza thyme