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Ajuga reptans L., Bugle

Account Summary

Native, very common. European temperate, adventive in Fennoscandia and introduced in N America.

1881; Stewart, S.A.; Co Fermanagh.

Throughout the year.

Growth form and preferred habitats

This is a low-growing, rosette-forming perennial with a short, thick rhizome that sends out slender, creeping, rooting and ascending leafy suckers or stolons. In this manner, A. reptans regularly forms, semi-evergreen spreading patches in unimproved pasture and meadow grasslands. The aerial stems have two lines of hairs running down opposite sides, shifting to the other two sides at each node. Leaves opposite, simple; radical leaves long-stalked, stem ones sessile and gradually shortening into coloured bracts (Hutchinson 1945, 1972). Leaf under-surfaces darkened or reddened with anthocyanin pigment.

A. reptans occupies a wide range of habitats and is really absent only from the most acidic peaty soils, truly aquatic habitats and the highest or most disturbed ground. The most typical habitats involve damp to moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, mildly acid to calcareous soils in partial- to deep shade. It commonly appears in open or marginal areas in woods, recent coppice or felled areas, but it persists well whenever shade develops. It also occupies scrub, hedges, along lakeshores and ditches, and in damp pastures, meadows and unimproved grass or more open roadside verges.

The established strategy of A. reptans is categorised as R/CSR, intermediate between Ruderal and a more balanced mix of all three ecological strategies, Competitor, Stress-tolerator and Ruderal (Grime et al. 1988, 2007).

Fermanagh occurrence

Bugle has been recorded in 342 Fermanagh tetrads (64.8% of the VC total) and is very widely scattered across the whole county – too common to map!

Vegetative reproduction

The species has a short, thick rhizome but it spreads very effectively by means of long, leafy, prostrate, aerial stolons or runners that root at intervals, enabling the plant to form clonal patches independent of seed production. It is unclear whether vegetative reproduction is the dominant form of plant maintenance or not but, of course, seed production remains significant when it comes to longer distance species transport and long-term adaptation to changes in environment.

Flowering reproduction

The plant gains considerably in height when it flowers in mid-spring, reaching up to 25 cm as opposed to the more usual 10 or 12 cm vegetative leaf canopy. The flowers, which appear from April to July, vary greatly in colour, although they are typically found in shades of blue or bluish-purple, only rarely appearing pink or white in tightly packed whorls of usually six flowers among coloured leafy bracts, the upper ones shorter than the flowers. The calyx is bell-shaped, divided almost to the mid-point into five nearly equal segments. The tubular corolla, five times as long as the calyx, has a very short erect, 2-lobed upper lip and a much longer, more conspicuous, spreading, 3-lobed lower one. The four parallel stamens project well beyond the tube and upper lip of the corolla (Melderis & Bangerter 1955; Clapham et al. 1987).

The nectar-rich flowers are homogamous and have little or no scent. Nevertheless, they are usually pollinated by bees, or they can self-pollinate. Either way, each fertilised flower can produce up to four, ellipsoid to ovoid, brown nutlets, 3.0 × 1.8 mm, each one decorated with a coarse reticulate surface pattern and bearing a conspicuous lateral scar (Hutchinson 1945, 1972; Butcher 1961). Many ovules do not mature to this stage (Grieve 1931). Ripe nutlets possess an attached nutritive elaiosome oil-body, common to many, but not all, members of the Lamiaceae family. These attract ants that help disperse them locally, thus minimising seed predation. The nutlets are also dispersed by attachment in mud to animals, including man and his vehicles (Ridley 1930, pp. 521, 533).

British and Irish occurrence

A. reptans is common and widespread, almost ubiquitous throughout B & I, the distribution even at the hectad scale clearly reflecting the species intolerance only of permanently wet or very infertile, acidic, peaty conditions which are mainly met in northern Scotland and parts of C Ireland (New Atlas).

European and world occurrence

A. reptans belongs to the European temperate phytogeographical element and is mainly restricted to Europe where it is widespread northwards to around 61°N, although adventive in N Fennoscandia. It is also found in W Asia and in a few places in N Africa. It has also been introduced to N America and New Zealand, where it remains sporadic and nowhere extensively naturalised (Hultén & Fries 1986, Map 1576; Webb et al. 1988).

Uses

Gerard (1597) regarded Bugle, along with the related Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), as being amongst the very best vulneraries or wound herbs available.

The plant is bitter, astringent and aromatic. In herbal medicine, an infusion of the plant is considered very useful for arresting haemorrhages and is employed for coughs and for those spitting blood in insipient consumption. It is also used for treating some biliary disorders. In action, it is somewhat similar to Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove), lowering the pulse and slowing its frequency. It has been described as, "one of the mildest and best narcotics in the world" (Grieve 1931).

Names

The origin of the genus name 'Ajuga' is problematic, obscure and there are numerous suggestions to be considered. It is a name used by a physician referred to as 'Scribonius Largus' as a synonym (or corruption) of the Latin 'abiga', said to be a plant mentioned by Pliny that produced abortion ('abigo' means 'procure abortion'), and the herb was reputed to have been used for this purpose (Gilbert-Carter 1964). Another suggestion is that the name was derived as a corruption of the Greek 'abija', in turn derived from the Latin word 'abigo', meaning 'to drive away', because the plant was thought to drive away various diseases. It was, however, chiefly valued as a wound herb on account of its undoubted astringency (Grieve 1931). It was an ingredient, along with Sanicle and Scabious, of an ointment for ulcers, wounds and bruises (Grigson 1955, 1987).

Alternatively, it is suggested 'ajuga' is a combination of the Greek, 'a' meaning 'no' and 'zuron', 'a yoke', supposedly a reference to the fact that the calyx lobes are equal, rather than bi-lipped (Johnson & Smith 1946; Chicheley Plowden 1972; Hyam & Pankhurst 1995). This seems extremely fanciful and contrived to the current author (RSF), but all things are possible when it comes to the derivation, allusions or suggested linkages with plant names, which are, after all, simply labels.

Grieve (1931, p. 140) recognises that the names of this plant, both scientific and popular, are not easy to account for. The same sort of difficulty arises when the origin and/or meaning or allusion of the common name 'Bugle' is sought after. It has been suggested that 'Bugle' is derived from 'bugulus', 'a thin glass pipe used in embroidery', the long thin tube of the corolla being thought to resemble this 'bead bugle' (Grime 1931). Grigson (1955, 1987) agrees that 'Bugle' is an obscure name, although he says it has counterparts in German, French, Italian and Spanish, from the apothecaries' 'bugula'. He goes on to clarify that it has nothing to do with the bugle as in a brass musical instrument that is blown, though it may be the source of the 'bugle' meaning the long, tube-shaped, glass bead, black or blue in colour, that is [or was] sewn on to clothes, a possible allusion to the, "glistening dark blue or violet of its [ie Bugle's] own leaves" (Grigson 1955, 1987).

Prior (1879, p. 31) gives 'Bugle' as being from the medieval or Low Latin 'bugula', a diminutive of 'abuga', one of the various spellings of a word given by Pliny as corresponding to the Greek 'Хαμαιϖιτυς', variously written 'abiga', 'ajuga', 'iva', etc. (Grigson 1974). 'Bugle' was also referred to as 'bugula', 'bugil', 'bugile', 'bugyl', 'bugyll' 'bugill' and 'begel' in medieval England, so confusion often raged and it is not surprising that A. reptans was sometimes confused with 'Bugloss' or 'Buglossa' (Anchusa arvensis) (Hunt 1989).

A list of an additional 15 very varied English common names are provided by Grigson (1955, 1987), emphasising the fact that A. reptans was both well known to herbalists and popular in folk medicine.

Threats

None.