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Scutellaria mellichampii Small
Mellichamp's Skullcap
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G3
State Rank: S2
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 27
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Sandy deciduous woods
Perennial herb with erect, 4-sided stems 15.7 - 24 inches (40 - 60 cm) tall; the stem has gland-tipped hairs that are dense to sparse at the bottom of the stem and become much sparser nearer the flower cluster; the upper stem has short, upwardly curled, non-glandular hairs. Leaves are 1 - 2.4 inches (3 - 6 cm) long, opposite, broadly oval to elliptic or lance-shaped, with wedge-shaped (cuneate) or squared-off (truncate) leaf bases; occasionally some leaves are somewhat heart-shaped (cordate to sub-cordate). There may be gland-tipped hairs on the leaf stalk and on the lower leaf surface near the leaf stalk, but most of the lower leaf surface lacks gland-tipped hairs; there is a sparse to dense covering of straight hairs mainly on the veins but also between the veins on the lower surface. There are numerous resin glands on the lower leaf surface. The leaf stalk is 0.27 - 1 inch (0.7-2.5 cm) long. The flower cluster consists of one to several paired, erect racemes, with the flowers held on very short, paired stalks; bracts within the flower cluster are much smaller than and do not resemble the leaves. The flowers are 0.8 - 1 inch (2.1 - 2.5 cm) long and have an erect, white tube; a purple, narrowly hood-like upper lip; and a broad, purple lower lip 0.3 inch (8 - 9 mm) wide with a pure white central stripe and no dark blue or purple spots; the lower lip has three indistinct lobes, the middle lobe with a tiny notch in the middle. Inside the flower tube, at the bend just above the calyx, there is a sharply defined ring of hairs. A small green cup (the calyx), with a tractor-seat-shaped bump (the scutellum) on the upper side, surrounds the base of the flower tube; it is hairy and covered with minute glandular dots (but not stalked glands). The fruit consists of 4 nutlets contained within the enlarged calyx.
Mellichamp’s Skullcap is part of a group of confusingly similar species that occur in Georgia’s eastern Coastal Plain and Fall Line counties. This group includes the common species S. incana and S. elliptica and three other rare species – S. altamaha, S. arenicola, and S. ocmulgee.
Scutellaria altamaha occurs in sandy, deciduous woodlands. It resembles the very common and widespread S. elliptica but does not have gland-tipped hairs on the bracts in the flower cluster. S. altamaha flowers have a colored stripe running down the center of the otherwise white lip.
Scutellaria arenicola occurs in sandy scrub. The lower lip of its flower has many dark blue spots, and its calyxes have stalked glands.
Scutellaria elliptica occurs in moist to dry forests. Its flowers are shorter than 0.8 inch (2.1 cm) and have hairy calyxes; the floral bracts are covered with stalked glands.
Scutellaria incana occurs in moist to dry forests. Its flowers have hairy calyxes.
Scutellaria ocmulgee is the most similar to S. mellichampii and occurs in the same habitats. In contrast to S. mellichampii, S. ocmulgee has:
*A dense covering of gland-tipped hairs on the stem, from the bottom to the base of the flower cluster.
*Gland-tipped hairs on the leaf margins and on all of the veins on the entire lower leaf surface.
*A tendency to have heart-shaped leaf bases, although this is not a consistent trait and S. ocmulgee may have squared-off leaf bases as well.
*Flowers with the lower lip rounded, not lobed. Like S. mellichampii, the lower lip is notched.
Bradley (2019) provides the above list of contrasting characters and also this key to distinguish these two very similar species:
1. Stipitate glands are present on leaf margins and on veins throughout the underside of the leaf blade; the upper portion of the stem has dense stipitate glands and shorter, randomly spreading non-glandular hairs; leaves are mainly cordate to truncate (to cuneate) ........................................................................... S. ocmulgee
2. Stipitate glands are absent from the leaf margins and veins on the underside of the leaf blade (sometimes sparsely present near the petiole); the upper portions of the stem with zero to sparse stipitate glands and shorter, upwardly curled non-glandular hairs; leaves are mainly cuneate to truncate (to subcordate) ......................................................................................................................................................... S. mellichampii
Ten species of Scutellaria are rare in Georgia:
Scutellaria altamaha (Altamaha Skullcap) occurs in deciduous woodlands over sandy or rocky soils in southeast Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=22389
Scutellaria arenicola (Sandhill Skullcap) occurred in sandy scrub in southeast Georgia; it has not been seen in Georgia since 1950. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18230
Scutellaria drummondii (Drummond's Skullcap) occurs in Black Belt prairies in middle Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=32153
Scutellaria leonardii (Glade Skullcap) occurs on limestone cedar glades in northwest Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16064
Scutellaria mellichampii (Mellichamp’s Skullcap) occurs in mixed hardwood-Spruce Pine forests over high-calcium soils on river bluffs. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15605
Scutellaria montana (Large-flowered Skullcap) occurs in moist hardwood and hardwood-pine forests with few shrubs in northwest Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=20397
Scutellaria nervosa (Bottomland Skullcap) occurs in bottomland forests in northwest and lower Piedmont Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16063
Scutellaria pseudoserrata (Southern Showy Skullcap) occurs in dry to moist mixed hardwood-pine forests just north of the western Fall Line and in northwest Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19755
Scutellaria saxatilis (Rock Skullcap) occurs in rocky forests in the southern Appalachians. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21356
Scutellaria serrata (Showy Skullcap) occurs in rich forests in the southern Appalachians. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18063
Dense hardwood-pine forests over high-calcium soils on river bluffs, often with Chasmanthium sessilifolium; also, shell middens in coastal hammocks with a canopy of hardwoods, pines, and palms. Plants are most vigorous in tree-fall gaps and other openings in the canopy.
Mellichamp’s Skullcap is a perennial herb that produces one or more stems from a short, knotty rootstock. It reproduces sexually by seed. Although no pollination studies have been published for this species, related Scutellaria species are pollinated by small bees such as solitary bees (Megachilidae) and sweat bees (Halictidae).
Surveys for Mellichamp’s Skullcap should be conducted when it flowers June–early July.
Scutellaria mellichampii is found in Georgia, in the Fall Line ecoregion and eastern Coastal Plain, and in South Carolina and Alabama. It is rare throughout its range.
Logging, road-building, development, and other clearing in bluff and maritime forests. Deer browsing and feral hog digging. Invasion by exotic pest plants, including Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Chinese Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum).
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Natural system modifications | Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Pollution |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Mellichamp’s Skullcap is ranked S2 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is imperiled in the state. Recent field studies (Bradley 2019) discovered that there are many more populations of S. mellichampii than previously thought; 22 populations previously identified as the very similar S. ocmulgee are actually S. mellichampii. It is now known from 32 sites in Georgia. Only five populations are documented on conservation lands.
Protect river bluffs from clearing, development, and logging; where disturbance does occur, install erosion controls. Control exotic invasive plant species, especially Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Thorny Olive (E. pungens), and Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Reduce deer population. Eradicate feral hogs. Survey nearby conservation areas for more species. Conduct life history research.
Bradley, K.A. 2019. Status survey of Scutellaria ocmulgee in southeast Georgia and adjacent South Carolina. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Cruzan, M. B. 2001. Population size and fragmentation thresholds for the maintenance of genetic diversity in the herbaceous endemic Scutellaria montana (Lamiaceae). Evolution 55(8): 1569-1580. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00676.x
GADNR. 2019. Element occurrence records for Scutellaria mellichampii. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. Social Circle, Georgia.
Pitts-Singer, T.L., J.L. Hanula, and J.L. Walker. 2002. Insect pollinators of three rare plants in a Florida longleaf pine forest. Florida Entomologist 85(2): 308-316. https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/4501
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L. Chafin, Dec. 2019: original account.
