Scientific Family
Lamiaceae
Synonyms
Scutellaria platyphylla; Scutellaria tessellata
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4 to 16 inches
Riparian
Yes
Mint family; green; covered with fine short hairs growing in small dense clumps; multiple stems are erect or slightly curving upward; small bluish-purple, 2-lipped flowers bloom spring into summer.
Tufted stems; woody base; leaf blades ovate, usually smooth margined, usually less than 1 inch long, glandular hairs on both sides; fruits with nodules; flowers few in upper leaf axils, sparsely glandular and hairy, bluish-purple with white blotches.
Habitat
Dry sandy soil; rock boulders & washes, riparian, juniper open woodland, grasslands.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Low elevation
2500
High elevation
5500
Flower Characteristics
Showy, delicate 2-lipped flowers with white blotches on lower lip, short stalked; very few flowers in upper leaf axils; hairy on outside, woolly hairs inside.
Flower color
Deep blue and white to purplish and white
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
August
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems grow from woody base, erect or lying along ground with extremities curved upward; oval or lance-like, 1/2 to 1 inch, margins smooth to slightly scalloped; stems and leaves covered with stalked glandular hairs; stems squarish.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Small black nutlets about 1/16 inch.
Fruit type
Nutlet
Fruit color
Black