Scutellaria bolanderi subsp. austromontana

Southern mountains skullcap, Southern Mountains Skullcap

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Southern mountains skullcap is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Borderland, Peninsular Ranges, and southern desert mountains in gravelly soils, stream banks, and oak or pine woodland at elevations of 600 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces blue to purple flowers with corollas 12 to 14 millimeters long. Growing with delicate stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it forms a compact clumping habit. Its leaves are distinctively longer than twice their width, with an elongated shape that helps distinguish this skullcap from other species. In rocky, well-drained habitats, this skullcap provides a subtle but important botanical presence in southern California's montane ecosystems.

Habitat: Gravelly soils, stream banks, oak or pine woodland

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 600-2000 m

Bioregions: SnBr, PR, s DMoj.

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.