Barbed skullcap

Description

Scutellaria barbata, the barbed skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to Asia. It is a perennial herb generally reaching up to 35 centimeters tall, sometimes taller. The lightly toothed leaves are somewhat lance-shaped or triangular and up to about 3 centimeters long. The flowers are borne on pedicels that have tiny, sharp bracteoles. The purple-blue, lightly hairy flower corolla is roughly a centimeter long. The plant grows in moist and wet habitat, such as paddy fields. The herb grows on the flat-lands in South Central China. It is usually harvested at the end of summer.