Ajuga reptans L.
Bugle, blue bugle, bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed, carpet bugleweed, common bugle, carpet bugle
Carpet-bugle is a European native, grown as a groundcover and now naturalized in North America. In some areas it is considered an invasive. It prefers damp grassy fields, and damp woods. There are many cultivars.
Plants: Carpet-bugle forms loose mats. Plants are 6–9″ (15–22 cm) in height. Stems have square cross sections, and hairs on two of the four sides.
Leaves: Dark green with purple highlights, opposite, elliptical or ovate with a rounded tip, simple, and sometimes toothed.
Flowers: A dense raceme of blue flowers, appearing from May to June.
Fruits: A schizocarp with four chambers.
Habitats: Damp grassy fields, and damp woods. There are many cultivars.
Edibility: Poison 
. Said to be hallucinogenic, and has
caused fatalities.
Ajuga reptans. Jan Kops (1765–1849); illustrated by Christiaan Sepp, Flora Batava, Vol. 1, The Hague, 1800 
 |
Some similar species. |
Online References:
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 48
4/3/2009 · Memphis, Tennessee · By Tim Chandler 
5/20/2014 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 5 × 6″ (12 × 14 cm) 
3/29/2008 · Memphis, Tennessee · By Tim Chandler 
5/18/2017 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (12 × 15 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Lamiaceae | Mint family |
| Genus | Ajuga | Bugleweed, ground pine or carpet bugle |
| Species | reptans | Having creeping and rooting stems |
Ajuga reptans description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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