Species

Ajuga reptans

Etymology

Ajuga: From the Greek a- 'without' or 'lacking' and zugon 'yoke', in reference to the calyx lobes being equal, not bilabiate.

Common Name(s)

bugle

Authority

Ajuga reptans L.

Family

Lamiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

AJUREP

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Habitat

Terrestrial. Moist shady places.

Features

Perennial herb with sprawling habit and long trailing aerial stolons. Leaves up to 5 x 3 cm with wavy margins and winged petioles up to 2 cm long. Flowering stems to about 25 cm tall, usually with 6 small blue flowers. Fruit is not known from New Zealand.

Similar Taxa

Ajuga can be distinguished from other Lamiaceae (mint family) by the ring of hairs inside the corolla tube and the upper lip present.

Flowering

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Flower Colours

Blue

Year Naturalised

1958

Origin

Temperate Eurasia, N. Africa

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Reproduction
Vegetative spread via stolons.

Seed
Not known from New Zealand.

Dispersal
Humans, soil movement, water.

This page last updated on 19 Feb 2010