Yunnan skullcap
Scutellaria amoena
Family: Lamiaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 20-60 cm high. There is a short stout stem attached to the taproot. It is golden yellow inside. The leaves are opposite. They are narrowly sword shaped and 2-5 cm long by 3-12 mm wide. The flowers are reddish-purple. They occur singly in the axils of small leaves.
Where it is found
It grows on open hillsides in northern and western China. It grows in grasslands and pine forests between 1,300-3,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China
How it is used for food
The leafy branches are gathered, steamed, dried in the shade and mixed with Ephedra sinica to make tea.
Edible parts
Leaves