Skullcap

(Scultellaria spp.)

Where is it found?

This plant is found throughout the Southwest and throughout New Mexico.  But it is more abundant near creeks or water.

What does it look like?

Skullcap has perennial herbs with weak, four-sided stems, and long blunt-toothed leaves.  The flowers are blue to bluish-purple and are trumpet-shaped.  The tiny fruits are produced in July to October (Kershaw, 2000).

What are the medical uses?

Skullcap is used to treat high blood pressure, any nervous system malfunction, motor symptoms of Sydenham’s chorea, and will sometimes relieve some of the pain in the earlier stages of Multiple Sclerosis (Moore, 1979).

What chemicals are in it?

There are six known antihypertensive chemicals found in Skullcap.  They are Arginine, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Verbascoside, and Tannin (Dr. Duke, 2003).