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Scutellaria drummondii (Drummond's skullcap)
Marcus, Joseph A.

Scutellaria drummondii

Scutellaria drummondii Benth.

Drummond's Skullcap

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: SCDR2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Salvia drummondii grows up to 12 inches tall. It is often branched at the base, forming clumps. Leaves are opposite and densely arranged. Each leaf is 1/3-3/4 inch long and mostly oval, occasionally somewhat oblong. Flowers grow in the axils of the leaflike bracts. They have 5 sepals and 5 bluish-purple petals united to form a 2-lipped blossom 2/3-1 inch long. The lower lip is notched. Skullcaps can be distinguished from other mints by the crest on the upper surface of the blossom. Most of them have small, oval or rounded leaves, and all have bluish-purple flowers.

The species name of this plant is named for Thomas Drummond, (ca. 1790-1835), naturalist, born in Scotland, around 1790. In 1830 he made a trip to America to collect specimens from the western and southern United States. In March, 1833, he arrived at Velasco, Texas to begin his collecting work in that area. He spent twenty-one months working the area between Galveston Island and the Edwards Plateau, especially along the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe rivers. His collections were the first made in Texas that were extensively distributed among the museums and scientific institutions of the world. He collected 750 species of plants and 150 specimens of birds. Drummond had hoped to make a complete botanical survey of Texas, but he died in Havana, Cuba, in 1835, while making a collecting tour of that island.

 

From the Image Gallery

28 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Ovate
Size Notes: Grows up to 12 inches tall.
Fruit: Nutlets.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , FL , LA , NM , OK , TX
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas, Woodlands' edge, Opening

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: well drained clay, Clay Loam, Medium Loam, Sandy Loam, Sandy, Caliche type, Limestone-based.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Perennial garden, Blooms ornamental
Warning: The foliage is reported to be toxic (Kirkpatrick, 1992).
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Fredericksburg Chapter - Fredericksburg, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 1074 Collected May 8, 1996 in Bexar County by Mike Fox

1 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Bibliography

Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Scutellaria drummondii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Scutellaria drummondii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Scutellaria drummondii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-07
Research By: NPC

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