Southwest Desert Flora

Scientific Name: Scutellaria platyphylla, (=Scutellaria potosina)
Common Name: Mexican Skullcap
Also Called:
Family: Lamiaceae or Mint Family
Synonyms: (Scutellaria potosina subsp. platyphylla, Scutellaria potosina var. platyphylla)
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 30 inches more or less.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; plants with multiple stems, usually erect or ascending with glandular hair.
Leaves: Green; opposite, glandular hair.
Flower Color: Purple or blue-purple; flowers axillary on the upper part of the plant, corolla with 2 lips, lower lip with 2 white blotches, calyx green, also with 2 lips, fruit a black nutlet.
Flowering Season: April to August.
Elevation: 2,500 to 5,500 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Rocky areas, washes and sandy areas.

Recorded Range: A relatively rare plant in the United States where it is native to Arizona. In Arizona it is found in the northeast (Apache County), central (Gila, Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai Counties) and in the southern parts of the state (Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties).

North America & US County Distribution Map for Scutellaria platyphylla as Scutellaria potosina.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: 44 species in Scutellaria in North America. 4 species in Arizona, 9 species in California and 6 species in New Mexico.

The Plant List includes 758 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Scutellaria. Of these *461 are accepted species names. *This data is currently under review by the The Plant List.

Comments: There is not much information available for Sawtooth Sage. The type species for Scutellaria platyphylla is from Fish Creek Canyon, Maricopa County, AZ.

Also see in Southwest Desert Flora; Bladder Sage, Scutellaria mexicana.