Scutellaria nervosa; Lamicaeae (mint family)

And we’re back to blue flowers.

I’m always so excited to trip across something new.  There are at least six species of skullcaps to be found in this area, with bloom times varying from late spring to early fall.  Last year I found hairy skullcap.  This year I’ll also be searching for downy, little, showy, and mad-dog skullcaps.

The plants stand up to two feet tall; depending on which authority you consult, the flower size ranges from 1/8″ to 1/3″.  The ones pictured here were about 1/8″. They occur singly in the leaf axils (therefore two flowers per node), hiding below the leaves.

Lighting and wind conditions were such that I could not get a good-quality extreme closeup.  There wasn’t a way to set up a sandbag.  A tripod might have helped.  Back to the toystore…