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Scutellaria baicalensis

Common name: Baikal Skullcap Family: Labiatae
Author: Georgi. Botanical references: 200, 266
Synonyms: Scutellaria macrantha (Fisch.)
Known Hazards: None known
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia.
Habitat: Sandy and rocky places near the sea shore. Sunny, grassy slopes and waste ground from 100 - 2,000 metres above sea level[254].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 1Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Baikal Skullcap [H,E], Huang Ch'In [E], Huang Qin [E], Huang-quin [H], Su Ch'In [E], Tu Fu [E], Tzu Ch'In [E],
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
China; Japan

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Leaves; Tea.

Young leaves - cooked as a vegetable[105, 177, 183].
The whole plant is dried and used as a tea substitute[105, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anodyne; Antibacterial; Anticholesterolemic; Antipyretic; Antispasmodic; Astringent; Cholagogue; Diuretic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Haemostatic; Laxative; Nervine; Sedative; Stomachic; TB; Tonic.

Baikal skullcap is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs and is used primarily in treating "hot and damp" conditions such as dysentery and diarrhoea[218, 254]. It has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years and recent research has found that the roots contain flavonoids that greatly enhance liver function and also have anti-inflammatory and antiallergenic effects[238].
The root is anodyne, antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, astringent, cholagogue, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, haemostatic, laxative, nervine, mildly sedative, stomachic and tonic (for TB)[46, 61, 147, 174, 176, 218, 238]. It reputedly calms the foetus in pregnant women[238]. The root is used internally in the treatment of enteritis, dysentery, diarrhoea, jaundice, chronic hepatitis, urinary tract infections, hypertension, threatened miscarriage, nosebleed and haemorrhage from the lungs or bowel[238]. It is one of the ingredients of the Chinese drug 'injection of three yellow herbs'[238]. The root is harvested in the autumn or spring from plants 3 - 4 years old and is dried for later use[238].
The seed is used to cleanse the bowels of blood and pus[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a sunny position in any ordinary garden soil that does not dry out during the growing season[200]. Prefers a light well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[238]. This species requires sharp drainage and, once established, is drought tolerant[238].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[238].
A very ornamental plant[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow outdoors in situ in late spring[200]
If there is only a small quantity of seed it is better to sow it in a pot in a cold frame in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring just before new growth begins. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Scutellaria macrantha (a possible synonym). References for scutellaria baicalensis (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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