About Scutellaria tuberosa Benth.
Scutellaria tuberosa Benth. is a perennial herb that grows one or more erect stems up to around 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) tall, sprouting from a tuberous root system. Its stems are covered in short, spreading hairs that measure 1 to 3 millimeters (0.039 to 0.118 inches) long. The plant produces ovate leaves arranged oppositely along the stem; its lowest leaves grow on short petioles 5 to 20 millimeters (0.20 to 0.79 inches) long. Flowers grow out of leaf axils, attached to pedicels 2 to 4 millimeters (0.079 to 0.157 inches) long. Each flower sits within a 4 to 5.5 millimeter (0.16 to 0.22 inch) long calyx that has a transverse ridge on its upper lip. The tubular corolla is 13 to 20 millimeters (0.51 to 0.79 inches) long, violet-blue in color, and its lower lip is covered in white patches or spots. The inner surface of the corolla ranges from hairless (glabrous) to covered in long hairs. This species produces black fruit. Scutellaria tuberosa is widely distributed across the California Floristic Province, ranging from southern Oregon and most of California down to northern Baja California. It is generally not found in California's deserts or most of the Central Valley, with the exception of the Sutter Buttes. Its southernmost distribution reaches approximately the foothills of Ensenada in Baja California. The plant grows in a wide range of habitats located below 1,450 meters (4,760 feet). It is most common in dry areas, chaparral, and oak woodland, and often grows in areas that have been recently cleared by wildfire.
