AJUGA ORIENTALIS

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Names:- Eastern bugle

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Ajuga (L) Corrupted Latin for abortifacient (in Pliny, abigo, to drive

away).

Orientalis (L) Eastern, oriental, of the east.

General description:- Rhizomatous perennial.

Stems:-

1) 10-60 cm, sparsely to densely lanate-villous.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, 30-90(-120) x 15-40(-50) mm, ovate to oblong, sinuate-crenate or crenate

-dentate, sometimes shallowly lobed.

Flowers:-

1) Bracts, ovate, usually shallowly lobed, tinged with blue, the upper shorter than

the flowers.

2) Verticillasters, distant, usually 4- to 6-flowered.

3) Calyx, 5-8 mm, teeth about as long as the tube.

4) Corolla, 12-16(-18) mm, violet-blue, tube exceeding the calyx, upper lip

conspicuously 2-lobed.

5) Stamens, included in the corolla-tube.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets 4, reticulate-veined or transversely rugose, 1-seeded.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, 8-40(-50) mm wide, oblong to obovate-orbicular.

2) Stamens, included in the corolla-tube;

3) Corolla, upper lip with 2 conspicuous lobes.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Macchie, olive groves meadows, road embankments, open woodland.

0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Scattered throughout Greece, but rare in the north and lacking in

most of the Aegean area. - Mediterranean region and SW Asia to Iran. Very rare on

Crete currently known from only one location in the west.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Bjorn Moe