ABSTRACT
That a nearly worthless and essentially inactive plant material could be recommended in a 1970 publication as a "useful tranquilizing herb"1 and praised in an herbal revised in 1990 as "an excellent herb for almost any nervous system malfunction"2 says much about the gullibility of human beings. Nevertheless, such is the case with scullcap (skullcap), the overground parts of the plant Scutellaria lateriflora L., a member of the family Lamiaceae. This plant is native to the United States, but several different species have been employed in medicine; S. baicalensis Georgi, a native of East Asia, is the one commonly utilized in Europe, the root of which is well-known in the traditional medicine system in Asia. All are rather similar, erect, perennial herbs that reach a height of about two feet.
