Ajuga L.

Bugleweed

Greek a — not, zugon — yoke, referring to the calyx, which is not 2-lipped.

Annual or perennial herbs with stems cylindrical or square. Leaves opposite, simple, entire, roundtoothed or lobed, sometimes stalked. Flower clusters leafy-bracted with stalkless,1-5-flowered, axillary whorled clusters. Calyx with 5 equal lobes and 10 or more veins. Corolla appearing 1-lipped, with short upper and lateral lobes. Stamens 4, fertile, usually protruding. Fruit a nutlet.

Grown mostly as groundcover plants for the attractive foliage and spikes of flowers in spring and early summer.

Seed and division.

As in Teucrium the upper lip is almost absent; lower lip 3-lobed (5-lobed in Teucrium).

40 species from temperate regions. Australia has 1 species.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Lamiaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Asteranae
order      Lamiales
family       Lamiaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Ajuga reptans L.