Scutellaria nana
Dwarf skullcap
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 3.3
Scutellaria nana (Dwarf skullcap) is a native California herb in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by small stature and orange-red ovary disk.
Dwarf skullcap is a California native perennial found in the northern California Mountains and Modoc Plateau in dry, volcanic scrub landscapes at elevations of 1,000 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white to pale yellow flowers with distinctive purple-spotted lower lips, forming delicate blossoms about 15 to 20 millimeters long. Growing with compact stems less than 20 centimeters tall, it develops thick rhizomes and features fine, pointed hairs along its stems. Its leaves are uniquely shaped, with obovate to diamond-shaped blades that have obtuse to wedge-shaped bases and rounded tips, arranged with basal petioles 2 to 5 millimeters long. The fruit develops as a small black seed with an intriguing orange-red ovary disk.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are small stature and orange-red ovary disk
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, volcanic soils, scrub
Elevation: 1000-1900+ m
California counties: Inyo, Modoc, Siskiyou, Lassen, Trinity, Plumas, Shasta
Outside California: to Oregon, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Scutellaria nana blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 3.3
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Salvia has only 2 stamens with a see-saw lever connective and often aromatic foliage; Scutellaria has 4 stamens and a smooth rounded crest (the 'skullcap') on top of the calyx.; vs Stachys: Stachys is hairy and aromatic with flowers in whorled clusters above a 5-toothed bell calyx; Scutellaria bears flowers in axillary pairs and a 2-lipped calyx with a distinctive dorsal hump.; vs Prunella: Prunella packs its flowers into a dense terminal head with leafy bracts and a flat-topped calyx; Scutellaria has paired axillary flowers and a crested, lidded calyx.; vs Monardella: Monardella is strongly aromatic with flowers in dense terminal heads; Scutellaria is scarcely aromatic with solitary paired flowers and the crested calyx.; vs Marrubium: Horehound has wrinkled woolly leaves and a 10-toothed hooked calyx in dense whorls; Scutellaria has the smooth 2-lipped crested calyx and paired flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scutellaria nana native to California?
Yes. Scutellaria nana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Scutellaria nana bloom?
Scutellaria nana blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Scutellaria nana grow?
Scutellaria nana occurs in Inyo, Modoc, Siskiyou, Lassen, Trinity, Plumas, Shasta, at elevations of 1000-1900+ m.
What plant family does Scutellaria nana belong to?
Scutellaria nana is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Scutellaria.
Is Scutellaria nana rare or endangered?
Scutellaria nana carries California Rare Plant Rank 3.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Scutellaria siphocampyloides — Curve flowered skullcap
- Scutellaria sp. — Skullcap
- Scutellaria tuberosa — Danny's skullcap
- Scutellaria antirrhinoides — Nose skullcap
- Scutellaria bolanderi — Bolander's skullcap
- Scutellaria bolanderi subsp. austromontana — Southern mountains skullcap
- Stachys ajugoides — Ajuga hedge nettle
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.