Curtis's Botanical Magazine/Volume 73/4290

Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 73
4290 Scutellaria cordifolia. Heart-leaved Skull-cap.
424828Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 73 — 4290 Scutellaria cordifolia. Heart-leaved Skull-cap.


Tab. 4290.

SCUTELLARIA cordifolia.

Heart-leaved Skull-cap.


Nat. Ord. Labiatæ.–Didynamia Gymnospermia.

Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tab. 4268.)


Scutellaria cordifolia ; caule erecto ramoso ramisque obtuse tetragonis racemisque (nunc ramosis) longissimis pubescenti-glanduloso-pilosis, foliis longe petiolatis membranaceis pallide luteo-viridibus mollibus rotundato-cordatis copiose rugoso-reticulatis acutis pubescenti-pilosis grosse sinuato-dentatis, floribus subverticillatis glanduloso-pubescentibus, bracteis angustis cito deciduis, calyce parvo, corolla (coccinea) gracili calyce multoties longiore, labio superiore 3-fido lobo intermedio breviore emarginato.

Scutellaria cordifolia. Benth. in De Cand. Prodr. ined.

Perilomia cordifolia. Schlecht. in Linnæa, v. 6. p. 3 74.

Scutellaria splendens. Klotzsch, Ic. Pl. Rar. Berol.p. 31. t. 13.


For this beautiful Scutellaria, the Royal Gardens of Kew are indebted to Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, who had received it from the Continent, under the name of Scutellaria splendens; and as such the species is described in the beautiful work of my friend Dr. Klotzsch, above quoted. It is, however, assuredly the S. cordifolia, Benth. (Perilomia, Schlecht.), and a native of Misantla and other parts of Mexico. The brilliant red colour, the size and general form of the flowers, indicate an affinity with S. Ventenatii; but the hue is more inclined to orange-red, the corolla is longer and more slender, the flowers are not secund or distichous, but subverticillate, and pointing in all directions; it has shorter stems, and very different foliage in colour, form, texture and reticulation. It flowers in the stove in September and October.

Descr. Stem nearly erect, branched; with the branches divaricated, four-sided, pubescent with glandular hairs. Leaves opposite, large, downy, cordate, membranaceous, coarsely and almost sinuato-dentate, pale green, reticulated and wrinkled with the copious venations. Petioles an inch and a half long, pilose. Racemes very long, terminal upon the branches, simple, or ramose, many-flowered. Pedicels short, subverticillate, with small deciduous bracteas at the base. Calyx as in the genus, glanduloso-pilose, tinged with purple, having the dorsal scale much enlarged in fruit. Corolla orange-scarlet, glanduloso-pilose, very long, many times longer than the calyx, the tube much curved, slender in the lower half, gradually widening upwards, so as to be funnel-shaped: the mouth inclining downwards: the limb of two lips, the lower lip ovate, acute, entire, deflexed, the upper much shorter, galeate, obtuse, three-lobed, middle lobe emarginate. Stamens and style included. Ovaries glandular, situated on a large conical gland or gynophore.


Fig. 1. Flower :–magnified.