Photos: Bramley, G.

Subfamily

III. Subfam. Ajugoideae Kostel. (1834).

Subfam. Teucrioideae (Dumort.) Caruel (1884).

Description

Perennial, annual, and biennial herbs (rarely subshrubs); inflorescence of dense, verticillastrate cymes, sometimes reduced to solitary flowers or merging to form a terminal, spiciform or subcapitate thyrse; calyx actinomorphic or weakly zygomorphic (posterior lobe reduced), not accrescent, 5-lobed; corolla highly variable in colour, 2-lipped or 1-lipped and then with only anterior lip present, marcescent, persisting as a sheath around fruit, posterior lip short or obsolescent, usually 2-lobed or retuse, anterior lip 3-lobed, median lobe very large, broadening distally and usually emarginate or bipartite; stamens 4, didynamous, usually slightly exserted, thecae divergent to divaricate, confluent at dehiscence; pollen suprareticulate, columellae simple or branched; ovary shallowly 4-lobed; stigma-lobes equal to unequal; disc poorly to well developed, usually asymmetrical; fruit usually a schizocarp of 4 nutlets (rarely drupaceous, 4-lobed), nutlets oblate to obovoid, reticulately ridged to foveolate, usually glabrous, attachment-scar lateral, 0.55-0.85x as long as nutlet; endosperm present. 2n = 32 in most species (16, 24, 28, 30, 62, 64, ca. 86).  Forty to 50 species, paleotemperate, mostly Eurasian. Ajuga reptans L. is used as an ornamental groundcover.

Distribution

Native to:

10 Northern Europe
11 Middle Europe
12 Southwestern Europe
13 Southeastern Europe
14 Eastern Europe
20 Northern Africa
21 Macaronesia
23 West-Central Tropical Africa
24 Northeast Tropical Africa
25 East Tropical Africa
27 Southern Africa
29 Western Indian Ocean
30 Siberia
31 Russian Far East
32 Middle Asia
33 Caucasus
34 Western Asia
35 Arabian Peninsula
36 China
38 Eastern Asia
40 Indian Subcontinent
41 Indo-China
42 Malesia
43 Papuasia
50 Australia
62 Northwestern Pacific

Introduced to:

51 New Zealand
72 Eastern Canada
74 North-Central U.S.A.
75 Northeastern U.S.A.
77 South-Central U.S.A.
78 Southeastern U.S.A.

Doubtfully present in:

26 South Tropical Africa

Synonyms

Bugula Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4 (1754).

Chamaepitys Hill, Brit. Herb.: 371 (1756).

Moscharia Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 158 (1775).

Phleboanthe Tausch, Flora 11: 322 (1828).

Abiga St.-Lag., Ann. Soc. Bot. Lyon 7: 85 (1880).

Rosenbachia Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 9: 613 (1886).

Bulga Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 512 (1891).

Publication

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Species found in RBG Kew living collections

1970-1292 Ajuga chamaepitys (L.) Schreb. N DIJN  F 154 0606 
2006-680 Ajuga genevensis L.  CHIS   135 02 
1982-1811 Ajuga genevensis L. N BAXT  F 154 0704 
2005-1169 Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'  PERH   111 07   :  135 02 
2003-1986 Ajuga reptans 'Braunherz'  PROP   157 79 
2006-887 Ajuga reptans 'Braunherz'  ORDN   186 03 
1999-4029 Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'  BLBU   153  
2004-1902 Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant'  ORDN   135 02 
1987-8234 Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant'  CHAT   105  
2004-2714 Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant'  ORDN   135  
2004-1561 Ajuga reptans 'Variegata'  PERH   111 07 
2002-1208 Ajuga reptans L.  FSTE   WAK_S MP4

Image resource

© Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew