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Scutellaria montana Chapman
Large-flowered Skullcap
Federal Protection: Listed Threatened
State Protection: Threatened
Global Rank: G4
State Rank: S3
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: Highest Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 89
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Mesic hardwood-shortleaf pine forests; usually mature forest with open understory, sometimes without a pine component
Perennial herb with erect, 4 - sided stems 1 - 2 feet (30 - 60 cm) tall, covered with soft, gland-tipped hairs; the second internode below the base of the flower cluster has stalked glands. Its leaves are 2 - 4 inches long, opposite, with rounded or truncate bases, pointed tips, toothed margins, and leaf stalks; the leaves are hairy on both surfaces. The flower clusters have 2 - 20 paired flower stalks and are held at the top of the stem, or in smaller clusters arising from the junction of leaf and stem. The flowers are 1 - 1.4 inch (2.6 - 3.5 cm) or longer (flower size is important to identification), with a white, erect tube; a hood-like, pale blue upper lip; and a spreading, pale blue lower lip with 2 white streaks bordered by dark blue lines and splotches. A small green cup (calyx) with a conspicuous bump (scutellum) on the upper side surrounds the base of the flower. The fruits mature in late June–July and consist of 4 nutlets contained within the calyx which springs open and expels the nutlets when ripe.
Southern Showy Skullcap (Scutellaria pseudoserrata, Special Concern) also has large flowers (2.4 - 3.9 cm) but the upper leaf surfaces are covered with shining glandular dots and the lower leaf surface have hairs only on the veins. It 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.a2hosted.com/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19755
Showy Skullcap (Scutellaria serrata) also has large flowers (>2 cm long) but the second internode below the base of the flower cluster lacks glands. In Georgia, it occurs in rich forests in the southern Appalachians. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.a2hosted.com/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18063
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
Moist hardwood and hardwood-pine forests with open understory.
Large-flowered skullcap is a long-lived perennial herb that reproduces sexually. Plants do not flower until they are several years old and, even then, often fail to produce viable fruit. The flowers have long tubes and produce nectar with a sucrose-hexose ratio near 50%, indicating that this species evolved in the presence of pollinators such as moths or long-tongued bees. Hummingbirds, wasps, and butterflies have also been observed visiting their flowers. However, visits by any pollinator are infrequent, and, as a result, Large-flowered Skullcap flowers are either not pollinated, resulting in no seed production, or are self-pollinated which carries the possibility of the negative long-term effects of inbreeding. In spite of this, studies have shown that Large-flowered Skullcap has relatively high levels of genetic variation when compared to similar herbaceous perennials. This may be due, in part, to high rates of gene flow because its pollinators can fly long distances.
Surveys are best conducted during flowering (mid-May–early June). Flower size is important to identification.
The Ridge & Valley physiographic province of northwest Georgia and southeast Tennessee.
Quarrying, logging, cattle grazing and trampling, clearing for residential and commercial development, browsing by deer, and competition by exotic pest plants such as Japanese Honeysuckle.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | None |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Scutellaria montana is ranked S3 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that the species is rare or vulnerable in Georgia. It is listed as Threatened by the State of Georgia and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 60 populations have been documented in Georgia since 2000, but only 12 are protected on conservation lands.
Scutellaria montana is not a vigorous competitor and is not found in areas with a dense herbaceous layer. It is quickly overcome by exotic pest plants, such as Japanese Honeysuckle, that invade following disturbance. Avoid logging, trampling, and mechanical clearing. Reduce the size of Georgia's deer herd.
Benson, A.R. 2012. Impact of large mammal herbivory on the federally threatened plant, Scutellaria montana Chapm. (Large-flowered Skullcap) at a millitary training site, Catoosa County, Georgia. M.S. Thesis, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1/
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Collins, J. L. 1976. A revision of the annulate Scutellaria (Labiatae). Ph.D. Dissertation. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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
Epling, C. 1942. American species of Scutellaria. University of California Press, University of California Publications in Botany 20(1).
Fail, J., Jr., and R. Sommers. 1993. Species associations and implications of canopy change for an endangered mint in a virgin oak-hickory-pine forest. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Society. 109(1):51-54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24335211?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Federal Register. 2002. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; reclassification of Scutellaria montana (large-flowered skullcap) from endangered to threatened. Federal Register 67(9): 1662-1668. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/01/14/02-665/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-reclassification-of-scutellaria-montanawais.access.gpo.gov
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Scutellaria montana. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Horn, D., T. Cathcart, T.E. Hemmerly, and D. Duhl. 2005. Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the southern Appalachians. Lone Pine Publishing, Auburn, Washington.
Kemp, A.C. 1987. Showy but not very sexy: Scutellaria montana in the Marshall Forest. Tipularia, Journal of the Georgia Botanical Society 1(2): 28-30.
Kral, R. 1983. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South. Technical Publication R8-TP2. United States Forest Service, Atlanta.
NatureServe. 2020. Scutellaria montana species account. NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159616/Scutellaria_montana
Patrick, T.S., J.R. Allison, and G.A. Krakow. 1995. Protected plants of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Social Circle.
USFWS. 2020. Large-flowered Skullcap (Scutellaria montana) species profile and related documents. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia. https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=4721
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, Aug. 2008: original account
D.Weiler, Aug. 2010: added pictures
L. Chafin, May 2020: updated original account.
