Scutellaria galericulata
Skullcap ( Scutellaria galericulata )
The Skullcap ( Scutellaria galericulata ), also known as ordinary skullcap cap or skullcap, is a not uncommon in Central Europe species of the genus Skullcap ( Scutellaria ).
Description
The Skullcap is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 10 to 40 ( 50) cm. The upright or ascending and partly soft hairy stems has a quadrangular cross-section. The leaves are decussate arranged, short-stalked, ovate to ovate - lanceolate long Spreitengrund with heart-shaped and up to 4 cm. The leaves also have 4-8 weak serrations. The undersides of leaves and lower stems are often reddish in color.
The flowers sit in einseitswendigen pairs in the upper leaf axils. They are 12 to 18 mm long and blue-violet, blue or rarely also white in color. The crown is curved upward and significantly longer than the bald or only short hairy calyx. The lower lip has a white patch with purple lines.
Bloom time is June to September. The chromosome number is 2n = 32
Ecology
The Skullcap is a Hemikryptophyt and a stem plant or a marsh plant that is flowering size in the first year.
The flowers are homo game to vormännliche " Actual lip flowers". The nectar is deposited at the flower base. If insects visit the plant, there is a cross-pollination and self-pollination. Pollinators are especially bees. Bumblebees operate nectar robbery by lateral bite the corolla tube. Bloom time is June to September.
The fruits are spherical, densely warty, 1.5 mm long and 0.7 mg in Klausen, which are surrounded by an airy, non-wettable tissue. Your swimming period is about 12 months. The clause will be sequentially ejected from the fruit to maturity to a capsule-like container reshaped, enlarged after flowering calyx, the lower half forms a forwardly extending channel. The fruits are Selbstausstreuer and animal spreaders, but also Regenballist, with the helmet-shaped appendage serves on the chalice back as drip. Lastly, the chalice upper lip and any remaining Klausen solves roll over the shovel-shaped calyx lower lip to the ground, so that there is also a gravity spreading. Fruit ripening is from August or September to October.
Vegetative reproduction occurs by short underground runners.
Distribution and location
The Skullcap has a very large distribution area in the northern hemisphere. It is native to Europe, much of Asia and North America.
The Skullcap can be found in most parts of Europe; in Germany it is common to be found scattered.
The species is found in fens, wet meadows and siltation companies, banks and ditches, the reeds standing and flowing waters as well as on forest ponds and swamp forests. It occurs at altitudes up to 1200 m before.
- Flowering Skullcap
- Flowers
- Flowers
- Laubblatt