Scutellaria barbata

Scutellaria barbata, the barbed skullcap,^[1] is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to Asia.^[2]

Scutellaria barbata
At Hong Kong Flower Show
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Scutellaria
Species:	S. barbata
Binomial name
Scutellaria barbata D.Don.

Description

It is a perennial herb generally reaching up to 35 centimeters tall, sometimes taller. The lightly toothed leaves are somewhat lance-shaped or triangular and up to about 3 centimeters long. The flowers are borne on pedicels that have tiny, sharp bracteoles. The purple-blue, lightly hairy flower corolla is roughly a centimeter long. The plant grows in moist and wet habitat, such as paddy fields.^[2]

Distribution

The herb grows on the flat-lands in South Central China. It is usually harvested at the end of summer.^[3]

Therapeutic usage

The herb is used to as a medicine to treat cancer. However, there have been multiple reports that patients who were treated with the herb struggled with inflammation and infection.^[4]

They are also used to treat hepatitis, appendicitis, pulmonary abscess, and ascites due to cirrhosis.